Drawn to You
by broodofvipers
Summary: Caspian slowly discovers that he has feelings for his best friend since childhood, Anna. But she's already in a relationship with Stephen. Can Caspian show Anna that she's meant to be with him instead? Post Prince Caspian happenings, based on the movies (but no movie verse!) with a few liberties of my own. Rated M for very good reasons in later chapters. SEQUEL is up!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Post Prince Caspian happenings, based on the movies with a few liberties of my own. Caspian/OC. Lots of fluff. Rated M for very good reasons in later chappies and some language throughout . The story picks up right after the PC movie leaves us, and everything else is pretty much explained along the way. Characters and likenesses are forever owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. It's my first story…be nice ;)

CHAPTER 1

It was exactly a week ago when the Pevensies went back to their land through the tree in the Telmarine square. Everyone, myself included, were sad to see them go. We are all extremely grateful for their assistance in restoring peace to the land. Things had been so bad for a while that I started to become pessimistic, hardened to the world and always believing the worst would happen. But things were finally starting to change. The castle had already begun to transform in subtle ways, now that there were plenty of Narnian inhabitants bringing simplicity and joy to the otherwise sterile environment.

I walk down the dark corridor in the Telmarine castle towards the throne room. It's pretty late in the day, so I'm hoping the council is adjourned by now. As I walk up, I see that I was right. A few lingering council members greet me pleasantly as I go to the door. I smile to myself, thinking how even the politicians are happy about the end of Miraz's temporary reign. I open the large black doors to the throne room and go right inside.

Found him: Caspian X. He is the future King of Narnia, my best friend of many years, and the occasional pain in my ass. We have been best friends for as far back as we can remember. I know very little about my early personal history. My mother had died in childbirth, and my father had brought me here to the Telmarine castle because he was looking for work. He came from a respected Telmarine bloodline and was well educated, so he had no trouble finding a job with Dr. Cornelius, the professor of both the Castle and Prince Caspian. When I was four years old, my dad left me in the care of a trusted castle servant and left on a quest for an artifact that he and the professor had been researching for Miraz. But after several weeks with no communication from him, the worst was feared and later confirmed. My father and his handful of bodyguards had died from the harsh elements in the land they were searching. From that point, I had no family left. Miraz might have been a tyrant, but I think he felt guilty for leaving me fatherless. He allowed Dr. Cornelius to take me under his wing, and since Caspian and I are only a few months apart, we both learned and grew together.

Caspian and I fought when we were younger, but I think we always had a mutual love and respect for one another. Deep down, I think he was always grateful for my company, even though he probably would have preferred a male companion, if given the choice. Nonetheless, we quite quickly became inseparable. There are countless stories of us getting into trouble in the castle, but we have both matured into responsible young adults (for the most part).

The past few weeks have been particularly stressful for the both of us. One morning, I had woken up and went to find Caspian as usual, but I couldn't find him anywhere. The professor found me and explained how Caspian had run for his life after his aunt had given birth to a son. Even though I wasn't high up on Miraz's priority list, it was still dangerous for me to be in the castle because of my allegiance to both Caspian and Dr. Cornelius. That day, I went to another close friend, Molly, who is a servant in the castle. I knew I could trust her, and she allowed me to stay in her house in the town just outside the castle walls. It was one of the scariest periods in my life. For weeks, I had no idea where Caspian was, or if he was safe. Then we finally got word, but only when Caspian, the Pevensies, and some of the Narnian army had come to attack the castle. After losing the battle, they went back into hiding, which everyone now knew was at Aslan's How. When Miraz left to go attack them, I could only wait and pray to Aslan that Caspian would stay alive and unharmed. More days passed, with no word from either army. Then when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, there was finally news. Miraz had been killed and his army was disbanded. More importantly, Caspian was fine and would be coming quickly back to the castle. Molly had been the one to tell me, and I couldn't stop the warm tears from flowing down my face. We had to wait two more days for them to get back, and although they went by slowly, they were less of a burden because I knew he was safe. When they returned, it was too crowded for me to watch their processional through the town. As soon as the crowd died down a few hours later, I borrowed Molly's horse, Istra, and rode straight into the castle. I happened to find the professor first and hugged him, glad that he was also safe after his capture. Then he told me that I would find Caspian in his room. I have never run that fast, and when I knocked on his door and heard his voice telling me to enter, I couldn't stop the flowing of my tears once more. Throwing the door open, I found him sitting at his desk. He turned his head, with shock and relief flooding over his face the moment he saw me. He got up so fast that he knocked his chair over. Usually I would make fun of him for something like that, but not in this moment. He bounded over to me and swept me up tightly in his arms with his own tears grazing his cheeks. It was a sweet reunion.

He barely let me out of his sight over the following days, even though it became clear to me that he was very partial to Susan. At first, she seemed to be jealous of our relationship, so she refused to say more than a few words to me at a time. That all went away, though, when she met my boyfriend of several months. His name is Stephen, and he was extremely excited to meet the Pevensies, as I had been. When she finally warmed up to me and realized that I wasn't a threat to her relationship with Caspian, it was a wonderful few days. There was even a ball in celebration of the newfound peace in Narnia. Life was finally settling in, and happiness resonated throughout the land.

Then Aslan brought us together in the square a week ago. Caspian explained that the Telmarines could stay with us in the land, if they had peaceful intensions. Any others could return to the land of our forefathers, with Aslan's help. I had been watching his speech from the crowd, and we were all shocked when the Pevensies shared their plan of returning to their land as well. I wasn't at all surprised when Susan turned and kissed Caspian before she left. I hadn't had a lot of time to speak with him about her, but I felt sad for him. He finally met someone and she had to leave.

Now, we are all settling back into the castle, and I finally have a chance to talk to him. I know he has been busy, but he seems a little more reclusive and reserved than usual. Whenever I've seen him over the past week, it's only been short interactions. I walk up to the throne, but I can't see his face behind a large map he is apparently studying. I put both of my hands on his legs just above his knees, and lean over, pressing my weight into him.

"Guess who?" I ask. He slowly lowers the map so he can stare back at me.

"Hmmm. I'm not sure. Someone annoying, perhaps?" I squeezed my hands tighter on his legs, making him yelp a little in pain.

"Hey! I just got you back. Don't make me want to send you away again!" He just laughs in response, then grabs my wrists tightly and yanks them off his legs. He's stronger than I remember.

"Go ahead and try it lady. I'll banish you from being a disturber of the peace."

I stick my tongue out at him, and then sit on the closest council chair. "These aren't very comfortable, are they?"

He laughs a little. "No, they are definitely not." He returns to looking at the map.

Normally he's way more talkative. I've missed him, though, and want to keep talking. "So, what are you looking at?" I ask.

"Just a map of Narnia."

"Everything ok? With Narnia, I mean."

"Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to make sure that I have an updated account of all the cities and towns. For now, Narnia is in much better shape now that Miraz is gone."

"It sure is different without him here."

"Yes, and it is for the better. He may have been my family, but you know as well as I do that he was a monster."

"True. But he did let me stay here."

Caspian looks up at me, smiling. "For that, I am grateful."

"Me too."

He studies the map for a few more moments. "So, I have something to ask you," he says, breaking the silence.

"Alright."

"Do you remember the stories about Cair Paravel?"

"Of course. The professor told us about it. And the Pevensies lived there before, right? Over by the ocean?"

"Yes, they lived there. And apparently some of it is left. I mean, not much, but there might be enough space for it to be rebuilt."

"You're going to have it rebuilt?" I ask excitedly.

He grins, amused by my reaction. "Well, I'm going to have to go survey it first. But yes. I'd like to, if it turns out to be feasible."

"That's wonderful!"

"I'm glad you're happy about it." He pauses for a moment, deliberating. "So, you'd want to live there with me?" He asks, closely studying my reaction.

"Caspian! Of course! As long as it's ok and I'm not needed here instead."

"What do you mean, 'as long as it's ok?' I'm going to be King."

"No, I know. It's just…I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do around here. I don't want you to have problems because you want to bring me along. I'm not sure the council will be happy with you bringing some random girl with no title or duties to live with you in your new castle," I explain. Caspian and I are now eighteen years old, so we are completely finished with our studies. Right when we were preparing for the next chapters in our lives, Miraz took over.

He rolls his eyes and puts the map down on the floor next to his chair, then walks straight over to the chair I'm occupying. He holds out both of his hands to me, so I grasp them with my own and he pulls me up out of the chair. We are almost the same height, with me being only two inches shorter than him. He lowers his head just a little to make a point of staring me directly in the eyes. "First of all, you're not some random girl. You're my Anna, you're my best friend, and I love you. I'm taking you with me...If you want to, of course. And second, I have no doubt that I can find a lovely, impressive sounding title for you to make it official if that will make you feel better. Alright?" He asked, smiling at me.

"Alright. I love you too and I want to go if you go. Well, if you can even build there."

"Ah, yes. First things first. You've always been the practical one."

"One of my many, many strengths," I say in an exaggerated voice, giving his hands one last squeeze before letting them go.

"Yes, and now you just need to work on that humbleness…" he jokingly suggests as he walks back to his chair and grabs the map off the floor.

"Hmmmm. I'll think about it," I reply as he comes back to me and holds one of my hands, walking us towards the door. We almost always walk hand in hand wherever we go. It's something we picked up as kids, and we just never really stopped.

"Good. Now, I'm going to go drop this off at my study. You can come if you want." We tend to spend a lot of time there together anyway. Even if he's working, I usually sit and read quietly. We both enjoy the solitude and being in each other's company.

"Let's go!"

We walk in comfortable silence until we got to the room. There's more I want to ask him, but need to wait until we are in private. He opens the door, leading me inside. Even though the Telmarine castle is so dark in color, this room is one of my favorites because it is one of the brightest. Just a few years ago, he had it filled with large oak furniture. The bookshelves reach all the way to the ceiling and are filled with volumes of literature. Sometimes I find books there to read, rather than having to go down to the library. His study also has a huge desk as the centerpiece of the room. There is also a small sitting area over by the huge grey stone fireplace. Area rugs from all over the country make it extra cozy, as do the chaise lounge and the fluffy arm chair that sits across from it. But my absolute favorite spot in the room is the massive bay window to the side of his desk. The windows extend all the way up to the ceiling, probably about eight feet. The cushion on the windowsill feels like it's probably the most comfortable design in all of Narnia. And there are plenty of throw pillows to make it easy to curl up or lean back against the wall. He walks straight to his desk and places the folded map on the surface. Then he starts a fire in the fireplace while I curl up on the chaise lounge. After the fire is big enough to burn for a while, he sits in the armchair, sprawling himself comfortably over the arms.

"Mmmmm. It's been a long day," he says.

"You've been so busy lately."

"I know. I've barely seen you."

"It's been awful."

He gave me his sad half smile. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I know you have more duties now. Speaking of which, and I've been meaning to ask you…when are you being crowned King?"

"That's actually one of the first things I discussed with the council. I think I'm going to wait about a year."

"What? Why?" I was taken aback, because that was completely unexpected. I thought he would be crowned almost immediately. Narnia had to have a King, after all.

"Well, a few reasons, actually. The first is that Narnia is still very fragile, even though we are finally at peace. Some of the Narnians still don't trust Telmarines. Even though I fought with them and have many supporters, some continue to question my intentions. I was hoping that since it was my suggestion to wait that long that they would begin to trust me and see that I want harmony as much as they do. I'm willing to wait for the sake of peace. As far as I know, it has been seen favorably."

"That's good. So what are the other reasons?"

"The other main one is the rebuilding of Cair Paravel. I thought it would be another good gesture for me to rebuild the Narnian city. I hope to have it completed in under a year. That way, I can be crowned King there, as another way to appease the people."

He is already making such wise decisions. He really will make a great King.

"That's another good idea."

"That's what I've been hoping. But there was something else. The council has brought up the topic of my marriage."

I looked at him, showing my annoyance.

"I know. That's how I feel."

"So what are they saying?"

"Well, they can't really do anything until I'm actually crowned King. That's another reason why it's good for me to wait a year. It gets them off my back, at least legally, for a little while longer."

"Have you even thought about it? Marriage, I mean?"

"Not really, but I figured it would come up someday. I obviously know that I don't want to have to marry a complete stranger. I want to marry for love, just like everyone else." I nod in agreement. I want that for him, too. It's not fair for him to have to marry someone he doesn't even know for the sake of an heir. His voice and demeanor suddenly gets more serious and he looks over at me. "I had been thinking though…you…"

But he can't finish his thought, because my other best friend and personal servant, Molly, bursts into the room.

"Hasn't anyone told you that it's polite to knock before entering a room?" Caspian asks, annoyed.

"Hasn't anyone told you to not talk down to a servant?" Counters Molly.

"Alright you two! It's a wonder I put up with the both of you," I say. I pat the open spot at the end of the chaise lounge, so Molly comes and plops herself down.

Caspian and I, as if with some unspoken agreement, just sit there, staring silently at Molly. She quickly looks back and forth between us.

"So, have I interrupted a delightful conversation?"

I snort, and then say, "We may have told you, if you had just knocked." Caspian laughs, happy that I suddenly take his side of the argument.

"Oh will you both just get over it?" She says loudly, which just makes Caspian and I giggle even more. She continues, "I just ran into Ty. She said the dearest Prince hadn't stopped by for any dinner yet. Do you want me to bring you something, or are you going to go to the kitchen?" she asks Caspian.

He thinks for a second, "I think I'll go down. Thank you so much for your grave concern, Molly Mayhem." I laugh hard. He hasn't used that nickname in a while. He started calling her that a few years ago, when she had a particularly bad bout of clumsiness.

"I kinda just wish you would sit up here and starve," she says to him before getting up and heading over to the door, waiting for him to follow.

He looks over at me, "You coming?"

I shake my head no. "I ate earlier. Besides, I should probably go see Stephen." He looks a little annoyed at my suggestion. Stephen and Caspian get along. Well, for the most part. And when they do, I think it's only for my benefit. But Caspian has always been a little leery of him. Stephen is my first real boyfriend, and we have been courting now for about six months. I keep telling myself that Caspian's just being protective, but I'm not sure why he keeps acting like that. He used to hide his displeasure, but has been increasingly frustrated even at the mention of his name. We both stand, and he comes and gives me a quick hug.

"See you tomorrow?"

"I hope so!"

And with that, he leaves for the kitchens, following behind Molly.

I really did need to go find Stephen. I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon. His duties as ambassador tend to keep him fairly busy. He travels more often than I like, but I've been glad to have him around a lot lately. I met him for the first time two years ago when we were eighteen. That's when he was old enough to begin his duties in the castle. I didn't even know he remembered me until he made a point to show up in several of my favorite places. Being ambassador, he has a room inside the castle but it is on the opposite side as Caspian and I's. There is a garden on his side of the palace where he spends a lot of time, and that's where I find him.

"Hiiiiiii!" I greet cheerfully, running up to him. He gets up and gives me a hug.

"Hello my darling!" He says, kissing the top of my head. He's even taller than Caspian, reaching well over six feet by several inches. I take his hand and pull us down side by side on the bench under our favorite tree. He then presses a kiss against my lips. I kiss him back for a few moments, and then pull away.

"You missed me that much?" I ask.

"Of course my darling. It's been a long day and I always miss you as soon as you leave." He tends to exaggerate at times.

"How was your day?" I ask.

"Oh, fine. Pretty boring actually. The Prince is almost doing too good of a job with making peace with other countries. I don't have a lot to do anymore."

"You can say his name, you know," I say, slightly annoyed. Stephen knows that I hate it when he won't say Caspian's name. Their annoyance with each other has always been a two way street.

"Sorry," he answers sarcastically. "Did you see _Caspian_ today?" he asks, adding emphasis to his name. At least he said it this time.

"Yes, I did," I answer. "In fact, he told me some interesting news today."

"Really? And what was that?"

"Do you know about Cair Paravel?"

"What? His plans to rebuild it?"

"Yah, you heard?"

"Yes, there have been talks about it recently. And I wish him luck in all his endeavors," he says mockingly.

"What? Why?"

"It's apparently a bad piece of land, nowhere near as viable as when the Pevensies lived there. And he wants to build it up on the cliffs, just like it was before, but it's just going to eventually crumble again. It's a bad idea. He's getting people's hopes up is what he's doing."

"Well I think it's ambitious. And exciting," I say, defending my best friend.

"I just hope that he makes a lot better decisions when he becomes King."

"Ok, then," I say, becoming even more annoyed with how this whole conversation was going.

"So what would you do if you were King?" I ask, trying to change the subject a little.

"I'd make you my queen," he says.

I laugh, "Good one. But what else?"

"I would call for more negotiations with neighboring lands. Bring peace offerings, that sort of thing," he says.

"Sooooo we would become servants or slaves is what you're saying…"

"Well, no…" he says, thinking more about his hypothetical scenario.

"Um yes. We would be perceived as weak and would be conquered probably within a week…"

"Ah, darling," he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "You're probably right. I guess I should stick to being ambassador, huh?"

"I think so," I say, agreeing wholeheartedly. I wrap my arm around his waist.

We sit in silence for a few minutes. The garden is as beautiful at night as it is during the day. I get mesmerized by the large circular fountain in front of us. I watch as little drops of clear water splash away from the main stream, landing on the edge of the porcelain bowl. It makes such a pleasant sound. Stephen's voice pulls me out of my trance.

"I was serious, you know, about marriage. Not now, but I do want to marry you someday."

I should have seen this coming. It only took us three months of courting to start saying "I love you" to each other. When we started courting, he had come out of nowhere, when most men were terrified to even talk to me. He was the only one confident enough to try.

"I know. And I love you, but I do need more time. I think we still need to get to know each other more. We've only been together six months."

"I figured you'd say that. And I'm willing to wait for you. As long as you need."

"Thanks. That means a lot," I say and kiss him goodnight. I go to my room and land on my back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I realize that I am more uncertain about my future than I ever have been before. I do love him. I do. But sometimes I think he loves me more than I love him.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I hadn't planned on posting another chapter quite so soon, but I already had the bulk of it done. And let's be honest…writing is addicting. So here's the next chapter

As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 2

Another several days have passed since I last saw Caspian, since he has been throwing himself into work. I'm starting to get concerned about him. Usually if he's busy, he'll still make a point to see me. The plans for Cair Paravel must be more difficult than I thought they would be. Molly told me today that scouts were sent to survey the land, and it's in better shape than they thought. Even though I've been keeping myself busy the past few days, it's still not the same without him. As much as I love Stephen, he's only been a distraction lately. My mind, however occupied, keeps wandering back to Caspian. I decide to go find him, even though it's getting pretty late.

I find Caspian in his room. Thankfully it's never been considered unacceptable for me to be in here. I may be a young woman, but since we grew up together, it's understood by everyone in the castle that we have a completely platonic friendship. Any other females aren't allowed anywhere near his room, and of course, he's so chivalrous that he wouldn't even allow such a thing. Even the servant girls can't be there alone with him. If he's in the room, there are always at least two or more servants, so as not to invite any rumors about the future king. I walk into his room and find him lying on his couch, just staring into the lit fireplace.

"Hey!" I say, as I go and sit with my back against one of the sides of the fireplace. It's a warm spot where I can easily see him.

"Hey."

"You ok?" I ask.

"Yes," he says, clearly confused about the question. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've just been a little bit of a loner lately."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yep. At least to your best friend it is. So are you going to tell me what's on your mind?"

"Well. For one, I've been thinking about our conversation the other day, when we were talking about marriage." I nod, encouraging him to continue. "I just got to thinking about Susan."

"We never did talk about what happened."

"Yah. I'm still trying to figure out what happened."

"Well, when a guy and a girl like each other, often the first step in romance is a kiss…" I say, messing with him a little. A pillow is launched at my head, thrown by a certain Prince.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. It's just…" He pauses, considering his words carefully. "Ok. I did like her. She was beautiful, brave, gentle, and kind. I really thought that I liked her as more than a friend, or that it could at least grow to something more than friendship."

"I know. I saw the way you looked at her."

"Anyway," he continues, embarrassed by my observation. "She kissed me and it's not like it was a bad kiss or anything."

"So, what's the problem?" I ask.

"Well, I guess there isn't one."

I laugh. "You're not making much sense…"

"I think we just had a natural chemistry, you know? But I spent all this time with her, thinking that I liked her, but I don't even miss her. At least, not like that." He sighs, and he looks like he is still thinking hard about something. "I think that I liked the idea of her. Maybe I'm just ready for a relationship, and I thought it would be her. She just seemed like a good fit at the time. Does that make sense?" He asks, looking over at me.

"Absolutely. It gave you hope."

"I need some hope. You've seen the lack of marriage prospects that I have."

It's true. All the female royals, even from far away kingdoms wanted Caspian. They were desperate, needy, annoying, or just plain rotten. Susan was different.

My back is getting sore from leaning back against the hard stone, and the only places to sit are the couch he is sprawled out on or his bed. I get up and gesture that I want to sit on the couch. He sits up for a second, and then lies back down on his back with his head on my lap. We've always been really close, so we are used to being in each other's personal space. I love his hair, so I use our current position on the couch to my advantage, running my thin fingers through his healthy locks.. It's brown but it's so dark that it almost looks black. He's let it grow to just above his shoulders, and it's full, thick, and almost as soft as a feather.

"Mmmmm," he says, closing his eyes. "That always feels so good."

We are quiet for a few minutes, both of our minds playing out our futures, imagining the possibilities. I thought Caspian had fallen asleep because of how quiet he had gotten. I just sit, studying his face. He really is attractive, tall and handsome. He's a little on the thinner side, but still muscular thanks to all the sword and crossbow training he has had over the years. For some reason, I have always been fascinated by his eyes. Sometimes, they are so dark that they appear black. But out in the sun, they turn into a gorgeous light brown. And I have never really looked that closely at his lips before, until now. They are the perfect size, not too thin or too full. I'm so used to seeing him smile, his perfect white teeth on display. Whoever marries him will truly be lucky. Still, he has always been annoyed by all the attention given to him by women. Every time we are together and a woman is bold enough to show interest, he'll always turn to me and pretend to get sick or make gagging noises as soon as we were out of earshot. Some of the women are gorgeous, but no matter how pretty they are, he never seems interested in any of them.

He once again opens up his eyes, gazing up at me from my lap and speaks up again. "How are things with you and Stephen?"

"Pretty good," I answer. But unfortunately I have this thing where my face always shows what I'm thinking. I don't look or sound too confident in my answer.

"Liar," he says. I give a gentle tug of his hair which makes him wince.

"He actually brought up the topic of marriage to me last night."

Caspian sits up immediately and turns to me, moving so fast that it makes me jump. "He proposed?" He asks, shocked.

"No! He didn't propose. He just meant someday. I mean, he wants it to be sooner rather than later."

He instantly looks relieved. "Good."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

A look of guilt passes over his face. "Do you really want to talk about this?"

"Yes. I want to know what you think."

"I just…I don't think he's the right person for you. He's very nice and cordial, and is a great ambassador. But you told me months ago how he can be selfish, and how pessimistic he is."

"Well, yah, but he has other good qualities too."

Caspian looks doubtful, "Maybe as a friend. But as a husband? And a father?"

I lay my head back on the couch, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

He grabs my hand and pulls it between us, then continues, "Listen, you know I just want what's best for you, right? And I don't want to see you get hurt. Be careful, that's all."

"I will. And thanks for being honest. That's a lot to think about," I say, squeezing his hand. "Alright, Prince. I better go," I say, so he drops my hand to let me to let me get up. I pull him into a hug like I normally do, then when I kiss his forehead, he squeezes me even tighter.

"Thanks for coming to see me," he says quietly, arms still wrapped around me gently.

"That's what friends are for. And I missed you. No more hiding out in here, ok? I want my best friend back," I say as I pull away.

"Alright. See you on the field tomorrow?"

"Yep, I'll be there!" We smile brightly at each other as I walk out of his room, shutting the door behind me.

Even though Caspian had given me a lot to think about, I had to go find Stephen, as we have plans to walk in the gardens. Thankfully he's already there so I don't have to hunt him down.

"Hello, darling!" I say happily.

"Hi!" He says, standing and pulling me into a close embrace. "I was starting to get a little worried you had forgotten about me."

"Nah. I'm sorry I'm late though. I had to go see Caspian."

Stephen lets out an annoyed sigh and stops hugging me. He grabs my hand and leads me to one of the swings close by.

"We need to talk about this."

"Talk about what?" I ask.

"Everything is about Caspian."

"What? No it's not!"

He looks over at me, unconvinced. "Just now, you were late meeting me because you were with him. Yesterday, he was all you could talk about. And half the time when I want to spend time with you, you already have plans with him. What's going on?"

I don't appreciate the implication. "What do you mean what's going on? We're best friends! We have been since we were kids!"

"I know, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's good to have other friends. But lately, I feel like you've been putting him first."

I don't know what to say because deep down, I know he was right. As my boyfriend, he should technically come first. But there isn't anything going on between Caspian and I, and I certainly don't want to have to change my relationship with Caspian either. That isn't fair to either of us.

"I don't mean to put him first. And tonight, he just really needed a friend, and sometimes I'm the only one he can talk to about things."

"Yah, I wonder why." Again, the insinuations.

"Stephen."

"Anna."

That was enough for me for today. "Alright. I'm going to go."

"Anna, wait!" Stephen yells after me. But it's too late. I was already gone.

* * *

I can't wait to get to the training fields the next morning. Nothing helps frustration more than blowing off some steam on the practice fields. It's a beautiful day, but extremely hot, even before midday. I still decide to wear a tunic and long pants, as they tend to be the best for training. I'm a little early, but I can hear that someone is already practicing swordplay with the dummies set up on the field. I turn the last corner and stop when I suddenly see the back of a very shirtless Caspian. He must have been out here for a while already, judging by the amount of sweat covering his frame. I have to snap out of my gaze when he suddenly turns to walk over my direction and sees me standing there.

A brilliant smile spreads across his face, and I can't stop the slow blush that creeps up on my cheeks. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice.

"Well, good morning!" He greets cheerfully.

I smile right back at him. "Good morning!" He walks closer, opening his arms for a hug, which I quickly avoid. "Um, no sir! You're disgustingly sweaty!"

"Well, you didn't seem to mind just now when you were standing there staring…" he says teasingly.

Shit. He had noticed. I just roll my eyes at him and go collect my gear. "How long have you been out here?" I ask.

"About an hour, I think."

I nod, and then go grab his water pouch since it was on one of the benches close to me. I hand it to him and his hand lingers just a little longer than normal on my hand. He's been boldly flirtatious lately for some reason.

"Thanks," he states, taking another deep gulp of water. "I'm pretty beat from that," he says, gesturing to where he was just practicing with his sword. "Want to do some archery?"

"Hmmm. I think you're just scared that you'll lose a sword match with me right now because you're tired."

He snorts. "Well, I think you just want to fight with me shirtless," he says, matching my tone.

"Yah? You wish that was the reason," I say, looking over at him. I expected him to laugh or make some smart remark back. Instead, he was staring at me with a little bit of sadness apparent on his face. "Did I say something wrong?" I ask.

He looks down at the ground and starts moving the dirt around under his boot. "No. I just thought of something. Come on, let's get our gear," he says, putting his shirt back on.

We grab our equipment and head over to the archery station. It's a pretty basic setup, just a line of targets filled with hay. We are the only ones there. It's nice to spend more one on one time with him, especially since he seems to be somewhat back to his normal talkative self. We shoot for about an hour, both doing pretty good today. And sometimes after I shoot, I look over and I can tell he's been watching me instead of practicing. We go through another round of arrows until we're completely out.

"Alright. That's enough for me today, Prince. I can barely pull the string back anymore!"

He laughs at me. "Weakling," he says, but then winks. "Let's go get our arrows."

We walk side by side towards the targets. I look up as a beautiful hawk glides in the air overhead; however, in that same moment, I fail to see a sizable hole in the ground right in front of me. My foot immediately sinks, and I fall to the side as a natural instinct to save my ankle from injury. Caspian immediately turns, hearing my yelp as I drop to the ground. He sinks to the ground and wraps one hand around my calf, helping me to lift my leg out of the hole.

"Are you alright?"

I wince a little. "Yah. I think its ok, no thanks to me."

"Do you want to take off your boot?"

I nod and start to bring my leg towards myself, but his grip tightens on my calf.

"No, I'll do it," he says. He then very carefully begins to undo the laces and loosens the boot's grip from around my ankle. Then he gradually removes the boot from my foot, followed by my sock. I'm not prepared for the shiver that overtakes me when he slowly runs his hands up my leg, pushing up the leg of my pants to completely free my ankle from any restraint. He's never touched me quite like this before. But he mistakes my shiver for a reaction to the pain, so he drops both hands away from my skin.

"Did that hurt?"

"No…that felt good." Shit. I didn't mean to say that, so I just stare at him, not knowing what to say next. I look at the ground and start to rotate my ankle, and the pain slowly begins to subside.

He is about to say something when Dr. Cornelius slowly jogs up to us, "Anna, are you hurt? One of the guards saw you fall and then came to get me."

I smile up at him. "I'm alright. It's already feeling better. It's not even a sprain." Both he and Caspian look at me, unbelievingly. I intentionally move my ankle around even more. "See? It's fine."

They finally look appeased. "Good," says Dr. Cornelius. "Well, then. I'm going to go back inside. Maybe you can stop by my office later on and we can work on that clumsiness of yours," he says, winking at me before walking away.

I drop my head and cover my face with my hands in mock horror, and Caspian laughs at both of us. I hear him shift on the ground, and he scoots closer, wrapping his arms around me. He smells a little of leather, from all of the equipment he's used today. I smile as he presses his warm lips against my forehead for a few seconds. Then he rests his forehead against mine as I drop my hands from my face.

"I'm glad you're ok. Want to get up now?"

"Yah, can you help?" He glares at me. Of course it was a dumb question. He gets up first then holds out his hands, which I gladly accept. He pulls me up and holds my hands until he's sure I'm steady, which doesn't take long. He's amused when I walk a few laps around him, but I want to walk out all the pain. I think he finally decides that I'm ok, so he heads back to the benches under the awning where we came in. As I follow him, I can't help but think about how our relationship is slowly changing. We have always been best friends, but now it seems to be growing into something more for some reason. Maybe it's always been inevitable. It's a connection on a seemingly whole other level that I've never experienced before. And I'm not sure, but I think he feels it too.

Then one single word pops into my head and makes me uneasy as we walk side by side into the castle. Stephen.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Yay for more free time! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :) As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 3

The next day, I go straight to find Caspian. I probably should find Stephen, but I'm not ready to talk to him yet, especially after what he said to me yesterday. Caspian's not in his room, his study, or the throne room. I decide to go to the Professor's study next to see if he knows where the Prince is. It was a good idea, because I happen to find them both there. I walk through the door, which is almost always open, to the room where the three of us have spent so many hours together. It is here that Dr. Cornelius invested years of his time and energy into making Caspian and I better, smarter people. Even when we were being particularly difficult, he would remain patient and calm. Caspian and I will be forever indebted to him for his service towards us. I smile as I take in the familiarity of the room, which still has a slightly musky smell, arising from ancient books and various valuables strewn around. There has always been a chaotic quality to it, but he always seems to know how to find everything. I think that's true of most people, though. We find what works for us then resist change, even if change would be best.

Caspian and Dr. Cornelius are standing by his desk, looking down at layers of papers strewn on the surface. They both look up at the same time that I approach, smiling at me.

"Anna, my dear!" The professor says as I walk over and give him a hug, his beard tickling the side of my face and neck. "Is your ankle still ok today?" He asks.

"Yes, it's fine. And thank you for coming out yesterday to check on me."

He gives another warm smile. "No problem at all. I just didn't want you to get stuck with this one," he says, pointing to Caspian, "if you really were injured."

Caspian holds his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt from the words. "Is there no love for me anymore?" He says in a theatrical tone.

I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his chest. "I love you, my dear, dear Prince," I say, matching his exaggerated tone.

"Good," he says, and then glares at the Professor. "At least there's one."

I drop my arms from around Caspian, but drape my arm across his shoulder. "What are you working on? Am I interrupting?"

"Actually, I thought we were going to have to send for you. I need your help," Caspian says.

"With what?"

He pulls out one of the large sheets of paper from the bottom of the pile. "With designing your room in Cair Paravel."

"Oh that's right! Molly told me the land is good."

He looks amused, "Ah, yes. Good news travels quickly, it seems."

"Can I see the plans? All of them, I mean."

He looks giddy with excitement, "Of course! I wanted to show them to you! The professor has lots of information about its original design."

Over the next hour, we pour over the designs and plans of the castle. In it's original state, it was a beautiful ivory, built right to the edge of the cliffs overlooking the beautiful beach down below. One single bridge connected the castle to the mainland, making it naturally well protected. It was quite beautiful with many extravagant towers and archways. He wants to keep it as true to the original as possible, although some slight changes will have to be made, as the landscape has changed a bit over time.

Suddenly, the Professor breaks our focus from the plans. "Alright. I can see that you two will be fine on your own. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend to, so I'll be gone for the afternoon."

We say goodbye, then I lean back, stretching a little. It's gotten quite uncomfortable standing and looking down at the table that whole time. Caspian looks over at me. "Well, we still need to work on the design for your room, if you're still up for it. Why don't we go back to my study. It'll be way more comfortable there."

He's right. The Professor's study was lacking in seating and comfort. "Good idea. Let's go," I say as we gather the supplies we need. We make our way over to Caspian's study and settle in on our favorite spots on the bay window. It's wide enough that both of us can sit next to each other with our backs resting against the wall with our legs straight out in front of us. I sit on the side closest to the window and loop my arm through his. We lay the papers across our laps and begin. First, we look at the blueprints to gauge the amount of space.

"Wait, so which one is my room?" I ask.

He points to one of the largest rooms on the floor. "It's this one here. I wanted to give you a lot of space, and of course a fireplace and a glorious balcony. We can change the layout too, if you want."

"Well, it looks pretty good," I say, although I do find a few minor things that I want to modify, so he writes those down. "Where's your room?"

He points to the biggest room on the blueprint, which also happens to be right next to mine.

"We're going to be neighbors!" I say excitedly.

"Yah. Do you mind? I want to keep my eye on you," he says, nudging me with his shoulder.

"I guess I'm ok with that," I say, then can't stop a yawn that escapes my mouth.

"Tired?" Caspian asks.

"Yah, you could say that."

"I'm a little tired too. Want to take a nap?"

"Yes!" I answer, so he puts all the papers on the floor. I shuffle up some of the pillows and pick out a good one to rest my head on. I turn and lay sideways, facing the window. There's a lot of sunlight filtering through the window, but it's still high in the sky and I'm so tired that it doesn't really matter. I feel Caspian arranging himself behind me and he lines himself up along my back, facing the same direction. Then his arm wraps around my waist and he holds me close. I close my eyes, and complete peace overtakes me. I can only hear the sounds of our lingering breaths filling the otherwise quiet room.

I slowly begin to realize how safe and at home I feel when I'm with him. Somehow, without realizing it, he's become my whole world. Even though we have been practically inseparable for years, it's never been quite like this. I start thinking about Stephen. His touch has never made me feel like Caspian's did the other day. And lately, when I've been spending time with Stephen, I haven't been as happy. Maybe it's just a rut that we're in and it will get better. But if I'm honest with myself, most of the time I wish I was with Caspian instead. My stomach sinks a little, though, when I think of what a future with Caspian would mean. If it ends in marriage, then I would be queen. I internally shudder at the thought. Sure, I come from distinguished bloodlines, and had the same education as Caspian. But still, how could I fulfill all the duties of being queen and leading the people? But then again, can I ever imagine Caspian being married to someone else? No, I can't. Jealousy wells deep within me, even at the thought. I finally succumb to sleep, debating and considering so many possibilities for my life.

I wake up when Caspian moves his arm from my stomach then sits up beside me. I can't tell, but I think he's watching my face as I'm sleeping for a moment. I then feel his hand rest on my side as he leans over and kisses me softly on the forehead. I can't hold back a smile that forms on my lips, which immediately betrays the fact that I'm awake. He laughs and ruffles my hair.

"Hey!" I say, laughing and grabbing his hand. Again, I can't help but feel the electricity between us. I drop his hand then sit up, leaning my back against the wall.

He scoots back just a little, giving me some room. "It looks like we slept a while…" He says, nodding his head the direction of the window. A few hours must have passed, as the sun had dipped lower towards the horizon.

"I guess we were both pretty tired. But now we'll never sleep tonight," I say, looking out over the landscape below. "I guess that's ok though. I have a lot to think about.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

I look back over at him. "I had a stupid argument with Stephen last night."

"I see. You want to talk about it?"

"I guess, but…in a way, it's kinda about you…"

This took him a little off guard. "Well, what happened?"

I'm not really sure how to tell him. "You're my best friend…"

"Yah, so?"

"I guess I've been talking about you a lot…" He seems rather pleased with that idea. "I mean, I was worried because you hadn't been your normal self lately. At least until last night."

"That's it? He got mad about that?"

"Well, no. He also thinks that I spend too much time with you."

"What do you think?"

"About what?"

"Do you think we spend too much time together?"

"No, of course not. I got so angry that I walked out on him. There's nothing wrong with our relationship. We're just friends. And I don't ever want to give up our relationship, no matter what the reason." I looked over at Caspian. His expression was unreadable as he stared off through the window. I took his hand in mine. "I love you."

He finally looks at me, "I love you too." He then kisses my temple. "But maybe he's right though."

This takes me completely off guard. I pull back, looking at him, "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that maybe we should spend a little more time apart. I don't want to cause any problems between you two."

"I don't get it. We're just acting like we always have. I don't want anything to change between us. I care too much about you."

"Yes, and maybe that's the problem. I don't want us to change either, but I can't keep this up while you're courting someone else."

"Keep what up? What do you mean?"

"I think you know," he answers quietly.

"Where is this coming from? I thought you'd be on my side!" I say, and I can't help the tears that begin to well up in my eyes.

"It's not that I'm not on your side, Anna. You know that I would be with you all day, every day if I could. But that's not fair to any of us. Maybe we should start to be more independent from each other. I can't keep waiting around for…" He starts, but decides to not finish the thought. "I think you need to decide what you want."

I get up from the bench, tears streaming down my face. I look at Caspian. "Fine. If that's what you want."

I hear him yell my name, but I don't want to stop. I practically run back to my room.

* * *

About an hour later, I've finally calmed down, at least to the point where I can control my crying. What do I want? That's a good question. And one that I must wait to find out, as Stephen knocks on my door then sticks his head in. I'm sitting on my couch, so he comes over and sits next to me.

"I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I know that I upset you," he says.

"It's ok. You're right anyway."

"I am?" He asks, confused.

"Yah. Caspian said the same thing to me today too. He doesn't want to get between us in any way," I say with an even tone. I may be repeating what he said to me earlier, but I know that it's not really what I want.

"Well, good. I think this will be good for us. It might be hard at first, but you'll get over it. Just wait and see. Besides, I'll probably be working a little less now anyway. I'll see you all the time!"

I look over and smile at him, trying my hardest to make it genuine.

"That's my girl. Ok. Well, I have a surprise for you, but we need to get going."

"A surprise? For me?"

"Yes, you! Now come on!" He says. We get up from the couch and I'm curious when he leads me to the stable. But I know he won't tell me where we're going, so I mount on the horse, sitting right behind him. We don't go very far into the town, and when we stop, I recognize the house right away: his parent's house. I'm actually pleasantly surprised to come here with him. When we were first dating, we would come to visit his parents every week. I got along with them right away. He leads me inside, and I am treated with a wonderful meal and a cozy reception from his family. We stay for a few hours, and reminisce over the past several months. His parents send us outside to the patio behind their house while they clean up inside, so I relax on their porch swing, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Are you having a good time?" He asks.

"Yes, I am. I love your family. They're always so friendly and inviting. I can't believe it's been more than two months since we've been down here to see them."

"Yah, I've been so busy. But I meant what I said earlier. I'm glad I'll get to spend more time with you."

"Me, too," I reply, meaning it more tonight than I have in a while.

"What made you agree to court me?" He suddenly asks.

"That's random."

He smiles, "I know, but I never asked you that before."

I smile in return and grabbed his hand, intertwining our fingers. "Do you remember bringing me flowers on my walk that one day?" He nods yes. "No one had ever done anything like that for me before, at least one that was interested in me." I had to add that part at the end because the only other person to bring me things like that was Caspian. "And you were charming and you were one of the only ones brave enough to come talk to me. Plus, I saw what you could do as ambassador, and I knew you have a heart for Narnia and its people." I pause for a moment. "Now your turn. Why me?"

"Because you are beautiful. And smart, and you stand up for what you believe in. I knew from the moment I first saw you that I would try to get to know you better. Thankfully, you were ok with that. Maybe not at first, but eventually you warmed up to me."

He was right. I had continually tried to ignore him. Most people just avoided me, so I didn't know what to make of him. But eventually, he did get me to talk and we became friends. Then one day, he asked to spend more time with me, and I was ecstatic when he asked if he could court me. And we have had some wonderful times together.

It was getting really late, so we say goodbye to his parents and go back to the castle. We're walking down the corridor hand in hand when he suddenly pulls me into one of the closets. I'm about to ask him why when he puts an arm around my waist and pulls me close, pressing his lips hard against my own. I immediately respond and kiss him back passionately, because kissing him does feel good. When we are finally out of breath, he pulls away. It's been a while since we have done anything like that. He places a hand on my cheek. "Don't forget what you're missing when we're apart," he says, then pulls me back out of the closet.

We walk hand in hand until we are just a few corridors away from my room. We turn a corner and almost run straight into Caspian, who was walking towards us.

"Uh good evening," he says, but he barely even looks at me. "Stephen, I've actually been looking for you. Can you meet with me in the throne room?"

"Absolutely, my Prince. I'll walk down there with you," he says.

Stephen turns to me and pulls me into a hug, which makes me face Caspian over his shoulder. Caspian just looks at the floor around him, refusing to meet my gaze. Then Stephen releases me from the hug and presses a kiss to my lips. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

I smile a little. "Ok," I respond, and then watch as they pass me to go to the throne room. I watch them as they turn the corner, both turning their heads to look at me one last time. I know I'm in trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello everyone! Here's a nice long chapter for you, and by the end, it really starts getting to the good stuff ;) As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 4

The next morning, I wake up just after dawn. I never get up this early, but as soon as I'm conscious, my brain starts mulling over all the details from yesterday and it's impossible to fall back asleep. I decide to take a walk around the castle to clear my head. I still can't believe everything that happened yesterday. Sure, Caspian and I used to get into arguments as kids, and it's even happened every once and a while now that we are adults. But it's never gotten so bad to the point where we aren't on speaking terms and go to bed angry. I just wonder why he has given up so easily. Yesterday, he hinted that he thinks of me as more than a friend. Maybe that's not true, though, since he made it clear that he doesn't want to get between Stephen and me. It's my fault that I've let it get to this point, though. I've been selfish, wanting so much alone time with him and have probably be sending mixed signals. There is one more thing too that I hadn't thought about. I've talked marriage with Stephen, but Caspian has never talked marriage to me besides saying how the council wants him to find a wife. I have no idea if he would be serious enough about me to want to marry someday.

And I don't know what to think about Stephen. Last night was one of the best nights I've had with him. I'm definitely attracted to him, but I've known that since the first time I saw him. I've always liked blonde haired, blue eyed boys. Besides physical attraction, he can be so genuine and kind, much like his amazing family. I'm sure he'll make a wonderful husband and father someday. I also have to consider how his job is way different than Caspian's. I would definitely have a much easier, quieter life with Stephen. But not matter how many good qualities he possesses I can never completely ignore his selfish and occasional arrogant behavior. And I can't forget how sometimes he's made me feel smothered. Should I really marry someone like that?

As I'm letting my mind wander, I wander to the main castle garden where I find Molly. She's harvesting some fruits and vegetables for our meals. The garden is large, but completely surrounded by the tall castle walls. Still, even though it's surrounded in stone, it feels organic and spacious because of the amount of trees, bushes, flowers, and other various plants that completely fill the courtyard.

"Good morning," I say as I sit near her on one of the stone ledges.

"Well look who's up early! You didn't get much beauty rest last night, huh?"

"I couldn't sleep," I say, bringing my hair to the side so I can braid it.

"Ahhh," she says. "Boy trouble?"

"Unfortunately, yes," I answer as my fingers weave through my stubborn hair.

"Are you upset because they left?"

"Left? Who left?"

Molly stops what she's doing and sits back on her legs, clearly feeling guilty for whatever she has to tell me now. "Ooooh. In that case, I hate to say it, but I might have bad news for you." I stare at her, waiting for her to continue. "Stephen and Caspian left before dawn this morning. The professor too. Word was sent that a small contingent of Ethanites was seen just outside of Cair Paravel. They must have travelled from Ettinsmoor."

She paused to let me digest all the information. The Ethanites are one of the smaller civilizations in Narnia. They are best known for breeding hardy and well trained war horses in the northern plains of Ettinsmoor. Ordinarily, they keep to themselves and have been on amicable terms with the Telmarines for as far back as I can remember. Perhaps they are just curious, now that Miraz is gone and the Narnians have emerged from hiding. That's a long way to come, though, for the sake of curiosity…

"You didn't know?" Molly asks, breaking my chain of thought.

"No. But I saw them both last night." I know that Molly is feeling bad for me, because she would usually turn a statement like that into some sort of innuendo joke. "I was with Stephen, walking back to my room when Caspian came looking for him. They went to the throne room, so they must have had a meeting about it."

She comes and sits next to me. "Are you okay?"

"Not really. I feel terrible. Caspian and I got into an argument and I walked out. And I had an argument with Stephen the other day, but then things were better yesterday. Now they're both gone. What if something happens…" I start to say.

"Don't even think like that," says Molly, cutting me off. "I'm sure that whatever happened between you and Cas will be fine. You know he'll forgive you. He loves you."

"I know, but I really hurt him Molly. And even now, even if I break off my relationship with Stephen, I'm not sure what will happen or if we can go back to the way things were."

"Wait. The argument you had with Caspian was about Stephen?"

I answer her and give her all the details about what's been happening. I can trust her, and she's one of my closest friends. Plus, she knows Caspian well too.

"So, what are you going to do?" She asks after hearing everything.

"Well, there's not much I can do right now since they're gone. I have time to think about it more, and hopefully I can work things out with both of them when they get back."

"That's as good a plan as any, my friend," says Molly. She gets up and returns to her gardening.

"Alright, I'd better go. Have fun with those vegetables."

"Oh, I will!" She says as she throws a grape tomato at my back as I walk away.

* * *

For an entire week, we hear absolutely nothing. It doesn't help that it takes several days to travel to Cair Paravel, which makes communication difficult. Molly tries to distract me, but since she is busy with her duties, I am by myself almost all day, every day. Reading is one of the only diversions that I have, so I've been spending countless hours in Caspian's study reading by the window. Half the time, though, I end up unable to focus and stare out the window instead. If I wasn't so worried about Caspian and Stephen, this might even be a good emotional vacation for me. In some ways, I need this time by myself. It keeps me from being torn between them. Here, in this room, it's just me and my thoughts and feelings. This room isn't a total distraction, though. I look around the room, and it only reminds me of its owner. I look at the wooden clock above the mantle, which I gave Caspian when he turned sixteen. And on one of the other walls, he hung a small painting of some flowers that I made for him last year. I decide to walk over to his desk to get the blanket that is draped over his desk chair, which he brought for me a few weeks ago for when I get cold and don't want to sit by the fire. I pick it up and can already detect a faint trace of his scent, a pleasant mixture of leather and cedar. I'm about to go over to the window seat when I see a sealed envelope sitting perfectly placed in the middle of his desk. It simply says: _For Anna-Only open if I do not return. Love, Caspian X. _I take it over with me and sit by the window so I can inspect it further. It's definitely his handwriting. He must have written it the night before he left. Everything in me wants to open the letter, but I know that would betray his trust. I take it back to my room and put it in my locked jewelry box, hoping that I will never have to open it.

The next day marks the eighth day since they have been gone. I'm about to head downstairs for breakfast when a Narnian Swift, one of the fastest flying birds, darts into my room and lands in front of me on the back of my desk chair.

"Anna, I bring word…" she begins, but is out of breath.

"Take your time, friend. Catch your breath."

She nods, and then takes a few deep breaths to steady herself until she's ready to speak again. "I bring word from Dr. Cornelius. He asked me to come find you right away. He needs you to bring a small contingent of soldiers and come to Cair Paravel immediately."

"Are they okay?" I ask, afraid to hear the answer.

"They were well when I left."

"Ok. Anything else?"

"That was the message in its entirety."

"Very well. Thank you…" I say, hinting that I want to know her name.

"Flox."

"Thank you, Flox. I'll leave right away."

I have no idea why I'm needed and if they are safe, but I do know that if they are in danger, then I need to get there as soon as I possibly can. I find Glenstorm, and have him assemble a small group of the best soldiers to be ready within the hour and I quickly pack a bag of necessities. I walk out of my room, but very quickly turn around and go back to get the letter from Caspian, still praying to Aslan that I never have to open it.

I meet the group of about twenty soldiers down in the stables. I'm shocked to find a very familiar black horse saddled and ready for me. Thankfully, one of the head ranch hands was there, still finishing the saddling of horses for the men.

"Excuse me, but why is Destrier here?"

"Oh, Caspian left him for you because he's the easiest for you to ride, just in case you needed him. Caspian took your horse. He said she gives you trouble sometimes."

"Ok. Thank you," I say, and then go to Glenstorm. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes, we are ready."

"Alright, let's go," I say after mounting Destrier. That makes two things now that I have of Caspian's as we ride into the unknown.

* * *

It takes five days to get to Cair Paravel. The first four days have been extremely uneventful. On the fifth morning, we wake up and decide to go a little slower and quieter. At this pace, we should be there in the mid-afternoon. If their group is in trouble, then we need to be careful and not alert any enemies of our approach. As we cautiously approach the tree line, we finally see some Narnian tents lined up along the edge. Glenstorm has me stay back with a few guards while the rest of them go search the area. After a few short minutes, they come back.

"There's nobody there," he says.

"No one is in the tents? Not even one person?"

He shakes his head. "Just their horses are there, tied to the trees. There is no sign of struggle, though. And there are tracks that lead off to the north."

"Alright. Let's go that way, carefully, just like before."

We very quietly follow the tracks. Thankfully, we can stay hidden in the tree line for cover because we can see the tracks just a little ways to our right, out in the open. It doesn't take long to see a large dark green tent in the distance. We quickly dip further back into the tree line so we will at least be a little covered as we approach the tent. We are about to surround it when I see the professor in amongst a group of men standing slightly outside of the entrance to the tent. He doesn't appear to be restrained or in distress and the men surrounding him are all Narnian. Glenstorm agrees that it looks safe, but he doesn't want everyone to go out into the open. He stays by my side and we take eight of the other soldiers, who stagger behind us. The remaining soldiers are told to stay in the woods and keep watch. The professor sees us almost immediately as we step out into the open, and he quickly walks over to me.

"Anna! You got my message!" He says.

I'm still very confused. "Yes…but Flox didn't know why I was to come…"

"Yes, I spared a lot of details." Suddenly, he pulls me close and whispers in my ear so no one can hear. "Trust me. I have a purpose. I can't explain now, but it was necessary for you to be here." Then, his voice dipped down even lower, "And we will need your soldiers."

Just when I backed up to ask him more, we all hear voices getting louder from inside the tent. Then, both Caspian and Stephen come bounding out of the tent, clearly not happy. They are followed by a few Narnian soldiers and about thirty Ethanite men. One of them is dressed in more ornate clothes than the rest and appears to be the leader of the group. Caspian finally sees me, and I can see him mouth my name, then he looks to the Professor as anger takes over his face. Stephen then sees me and comes over to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. No one speaks.

Finally, the Ethanite leader talks as his troops spread around us. "So, you never trusted me all along, did you?"

Clearly, things are tense. Thankfully, I'm towards the middle, so I'm at least a little protected, or at least will be at first. I have my sword and am well trained, but I don't have much armor on, and I don't really want to fight in a battle.

Caspian must not have known that the Professor was going to send for me and the additional soldiers, but he plays dumb. "These soldiers are here for my protection. I only came to establish that Cair Paravel will be built again for the Narnian people. I do not wish to start a war with you or your people, but I will defend my land and my people without hesitation."

"Well, you might have to, dear Prince. You don't seem to be very open-minded. We've been talking for days now, and I think you were just trying to buy yourself some time," he says, gesturing to the extra Narnian soldiers.

"This is your last chance, Acotas. You can either leave peacefully and never return, or we will end this here and now."

"It's too bad you feel that way, Prince. We could have had a wonderful time together." Then he screams, "ATTACK!"

With that, a small battle begins. Caspian takes Acotas by surprise and kicks his leg with such force that it shatters on impact. Then in one swift stroke, he cuts off his head. Then, he looks over to me and sees that I'm standing in the middle of the mayhem with a sword drawn, close to Glenstorm, soldiers fighting all around us. Just then, Glenstorm moves to attack one of the Ethanite soldiers, leaving me partially vulnerable. Acatos' second in command is standing several feet from Caspian, and he sees that Caspian is looking at me. The soldier starts to sprint at me full force. About a second after he starts running, Caspian sees him running at me intending to kill, so he takes off sprinting after him. The Narnians outnumber the Ethanites, but there is still a clear path for the soldier to keep coming at me. Just as he is getting close to reaching me, I feel Stephen move his arm from me, and I think that he's going to step in front of me to block the attack. Instead, in one swift motion, he grabs my shoulders and pushes me in front of him. I'm completely shocked, but I have my sword out and am widening my stance to brace for the soldier's attack. When the Ethanite is a few feet in front of me, he yells and brings his arm back, preparing to strike. However, at that exact moment, Caspian is now close enough that he throws his entire body at the soldier, effectively knocking him out of my path and onto the ground. They begin wrestling, although the soldier is clearly at a disadvantage from the surprise tackle. I approach them as they struggle and manage to crush the soldier's arm under my foot and I take his sword. Caspian wastes no time thrusting his sword into the man's chest.

Caspian looks up at me relieved, and then we quickly look around. All of the Ethanites have been killed, and most of the Narnian soldiers made it, with the exception of ten that died in battle. As I look back at Caspian, he drops his sword and jumps up, taking me in his arms. We hug each other so hard that we can barely breathe.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you, too," I immediately reply.

He pulls back just a little then puts both hands around my face. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" He asks.

I smile, "No, I'm fine, thanks to you! You tackled that man!"

"Well, I saw him running at you. I had to stop him."

I hug him tightly again. "Thank you."

"I'll always protect you."

He kisses my forehead then we let go of each other, although I immediately grab his hand. We thank Glenstorm, who starts to take care of the dead bodies with the help of the other soldiers. Caspian and I then walk over to the Professor and Stephen. There is tangible tension between Stephen and me, and I almost lose it when Stephen pointedly looks at my hand holding Caspian's.

I look at Caspian and the Professor. "Can you give us a minute?" I ask.

They nod. "We'll be in my tent," says Caspian, walking away with the Professor.

I pull Stephen off to the side so no one can hear us talk.

"I don't get a hug?" He stupidly asks.

"How can you even ask me that after what you just did? You're pathetic."

"Oh, so you're going to hold that against me? I don't have my good sword, and I know that you did. Besides, we outnumbered them. I knew we would be fine!"

I am shaking I am so angry and filled with adrenaline. "That may be true, but that will never excuse you throwing me in front of you like a shield. You should be willing to protect me, not the other way around! You've made it very clear that you only ever think of yourself, and I'm done with you."

He looks shocked. "What do you mean you're done with me? We're finally doing better, and you're just going to walk out on me like that?"

"Don't even act surprised. Things haven't even been good between us for a while. Besides, you've shown who you really are."

"I thought you loved me."

"I do, Stephen. Or did. But I could never be with someone as cowardly as you. And it's not just today. We're clearly wrong for each other. I've known that in my heart for a while, but I just tried to ignore it. That was clearly a mistake."

He's silent for a moment. "You're fucking Caspian, aren't you?"

I don't even hesitate when I swing full force with my right hand and slap him hard across his face. His cheek will definitely swell and will maybe even bruise from the force of my swing.

He wasn't expecting that, and he instinctively covers his cheek with his hand and tears start filling his eyes from the pain.

"I don't ever want to see you again," I say as I turn and walk away.

* * *

I massage my stinging hand while I walk to find Caspian's tent. I enter and find Caspian standing, talking to Dr. Cornelius when I enter. The Professor comes and gives me a hug.

"So why did you send for me?" I ask.

He smiles and says, "You will come to understand, but I must go back to the castle now. I will tell you more when you both get back."

With that, he leaves the tent. Caspian comes and stands in front of me. "I'm sorry that I had to leave, especially after our last conversation. I would have stayed if I could. And I'm sorry for saying the things I said. No matter what, I have to have you in my life."

"Everything is forgiven. And I'm sorry too," I say, pulling him into another hug. We stand there holding each other, simply happy to be together again. Then I finally tell him, "I broke up with Stephen." With that, he hugs me even harder. I giggle, "Uh Caspian, I can't breathe." He laughs as he loosens his hold around me. He reaches up, cupping my cheek in his hand. "Are you ok?" he asks, now concerned. His priority is always making sure I am alright, which I had always taken for granted. That is, until now. I take his hand that was on my cheek and hold it in my hand. "Yah, I am. I mean, it wasn't easy. He got angry and he said some things that I won't repeat. You were right about him all along. I shouldn't be with him, and definitely shouldn't marry him. He turned out to be a coward, but I know that I don't feel for him for how I feel about…" I get too nervous to finish my thought. Caspian tries to hold in the big smile that's threatening to make an appearance. He knows what I was thinking even without me having to say it.

He stays silent, but still looks amused and extremely happy, so I continue, "Listen, you know that I love you and I trust you more than anyone. And even though I broke it off with Stephen, we were still in a relationship for a long time." I take a deep breath. "I have to ask: do you ever see us being more than friends? I mean, do you want to be more than friends?"

He slowly nods his head yes and brings up his right hand and places it gently on my neck, then takes his thumb and begins to slowly rub my bottom lip. I look at him, and he's looking at his thumb and my lips. He then lightly bites down on his bottom lip. I can tell what he wants, and I want it too, perhaps even more than he does. But I know that my heart needs to heal. I place my hand over his on my neck, and he stops his thumb. He looks into my eyes, searching.

"I just need some time. I can't move right into exploring our relationship. It wouldn't be fair to you, or me. I just want to be completely yours. I hope that's ok."

"Of course it's ok. I knew this wouldn't be easy, and I know how you felt about him. I'll wait for you, as long as you need."

Similar words were spoken by Stephen to me not long ago. When he said it to me, I felt apprehensive and nervous about the future. It felt forced. But now, hearing Caspian say it, all I can feel is love and thankfulness towards this man in front of me. And excitement about the future. It was going to take me a while to adjust and learn to trust my feelings again. But when Caspian tucks my hair behind my ear and places a soft kiss on my cheek, I know that I'm finally right where I need to be.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was a challenge, but fun to write. I had to look up a Narnian map so that the geography would make sense. I made up the _ people. And a few fun facts: the name "Acotas" is actually a Native American name that means "group of horses," which I thought was a perfect name for someone coming from a horse breeding community. And I struggled to come up with a name for the group from Ettinsmoor until I did some research and found the name "Ethan," which means "Strong, firm, impetuous." I thought that was fitting of their people.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 5

The next morning, I wake up from the best sleep that I've had in a while. A lot happened yesterday, but I'm certain that I don't regret any of it. And I know that things will get better and easier with each passing day. I sit up on the uncomfortable cot and stretch since my neck is a little sore. I happen to catch a glimpse of my right hand. My ring finger is a little swollen and so is my palm, where a dark purple bruise is also beginning to show under my skin. It hurts to move my hand too much, but I know it will heal eventually. Some injuries are worth the pain. I look up when I hear Caspian's voice on the other side of the tent.

"Anna, are you awake?"

"Yes, come in!"

He opens the flap and comes inside, then sits on my cot.

"How are you today?" He asks sweetly.

"I'm great, except for…" then I hold up my hand, showing him the state of it.

He looks stunned. "Anna! What happened? I didn't know you were hurt!" He holds out his hand and he takes and cradles it, my palm facing up. He very gently takes his other hand and rubs his fingers so lightly over the skin that I can barely feel it. But I still get pleasant chills from his touch.

"Well, you know how I said that Stephen said some things that I wouldn't repeat? I kinda slapped him as hard as I could across his face in return."

He looks surprised but proud, and he looks back down at my hand. "That's my girl."

"I like the sound of that," I say.

He gets a huge smile on his face then brings up my hand, placing a tender kiss right on my palm.

"Oh, and thanks for letting me borrow Destrier by the way."

He smiles. "I know you like him the best. Since you ended up having to come here, I'm glad that I left him for you." He says, and then he gets up and starts towards the entrance of the tent.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To get a wrap for you hand. I'll be right back. Don't miss me too much," he says, shooting me a radiant smile.

As promised, he returns in a few short minutes. I get out from under the covers and move to one end of the cot. He comes and sits right next to me, and we face each other, legs slightly touching. I rest my hand, palm up on his lap as I watch him unravel the wrap. I've never seen him do anything like this before, so I hope he knows what he's doing.

"Can you hold it up a little?" He asks. I hold up my arm in response. The beginning is a little tricky, as the fabric is really long and he has to wrap it starting at my wrist. I hold the edge down as he begins winding it around. After the first spin, I can let go, so I just lean back on my free arm and watch him. I watch his face, which is always adorable when he's concentrating.

"Ooooh! A doctor and a Prince! Very impressive…" I say, teasing him. He momentarily stops wrapping my hand and looks up at me with a face that makes my heart melt. He doesn't say anything and just goes back to focusing on my hand. He expertly wraps my wrist, hand and finger and secures it so it won't come undone.

I take back my hand and inspect his work, happy with the result. "Where did you learn how to do that? You did a really good job."

He smiles, "Thanks. I've seen my fair share of injuries on the training field. I've seen enough to pick it up along the way."

"Mmm. Well, you're pretty talented."

"You have no idea," he says and pulls me into a hug. My breath starts to quicken a little when he turns his head towards my neck and I can feel his lips brush along the sensitive skin. My right hand comes up on pure instinct and I caress the back of his neck, fingers playing with the hair on the bottom of his neckline. He pulls back too soon and I internally pout. Physically, I know that both of us want to take the next step, but he respects my wish to take things slow and heal emotionally from my relationship with Stephen.

"You want to get some breakfast? Then I can show you where we are going to rebuild the castle if you want."

I jump up, and he's taken aback from my sudden burst of energy. I grab his hand with my uninjured one and pull him outside, "Let's go!"

* * *

We quickly eat breakfast, and then start our walk to the cliffs. We walk in stride, hand in hand, with our conversation flowing freely as always. The closer we get, the trees start to thin out, and we start seeing faded, dilapidated pieces of stone laying aimlessly here and there amongst the greenery. We walk to the end, where it's safe to stand, although it is still a little scary to be fairly close to the edge. I run my hand along the cracks in the stone which now have green weeds sprouting up in them and I look out over the land in front of me. I've seen many beautiful places in Narnia, so natural and pure, completely wild and untouched. But here, even where there are remnants of a man-made castle that is in a state of decay, I know that this is without a doubt the most beautiful place that I have ever seen in our land. I take in the smell of the ocean breeze, drifting up from the white sands below. I look around and see nothing but the forest growing on the wild cliffs and the deep azure waters that glisten in the sun. Caspian drops my hand and sits on one of the large square chunks of stone in front of us, facing me. I have to close my jaw, which I hadn't even realized had dropped in awe of the raw beauty of this place.

"So, you like it?"

"That's an understatement. This is the most perfect place that I've ever seen!"

He smiles, looking over his shoulder at the water and cliffs below. "Me too. It makes the view from the Telmarine Castle seem repulsive." We sit in silence for several minutes, continuing to enjoy the breathtaking view. I sit down next to him, facing the other direction towards the water. Caspian finally breaks the silence. "I've decided. I'm going to have Cair Paravel rebuilt. It'll be tough to have it done in a year, but I know the Narnians will be excited enough to help us get it done. It'll be worth it."

"I can't wait to live here. It'll almost be too good to be true."

Caspian gets up, and holds his hand out to me. "Come on, I want to show you something else," he says, delight apparent in his eyes.

I clutch his hand and he leads me through the ruins to a rather steep area of the cliffs. I look down, seeing a very narrow pathway on the side of the cliff, and he sees the fear forming slowly on my face. "Ok, so it's a little dangerous, and we have to be careful. Just trust me. We'll go really slowly." I'm reluctant, but we carefully meander our way down the path, ending on the soft white sand on the beach. I've never felt sand this soft under my toes, so extremely fine and smooth. I follow him along the beach for a few minutes, and then we have to turn a corner along the narrowing edge where the side of the cliff meets the sand. My jaw drops again when I see what he brought me down here for. There is a gigantic hollowed out cove. It has to be at least a few hundred feet both tall and wide, and it's completely open to the beach on two sides. I've never seen anything like it. We look at each other, and then at the exact same time, we start sprinting towards it. It's about halfway filled with water, so I run close to him through the water, effectively splashing him. We laugh and play for a while, continuing to splash and chase each other. We don't go swimming, but we may as well have because we are practically soaked by the time we get tired. We finally sit side by side in the warm sand. I try to rub off some of the sand that's covering my arms and lower legs, but I'm so sticky that it doesn't really work.

"We have to do that every day when we live here," I say, giving up on the clinging sand. It's a hopeless cause.

"We're going to be in very good shape!"

We both laugh. "Oh, so I've been meaning to ask you…what's in that letter that you left for me on your desk?"

"Did you open it?" He asks, looking a little nervous.

"Of course not! I wanted to, but I didn't. I brought it with me though."

"In case something happened to me?"

"Yah. But let's not even talk about that. So can you tell me what you wrote?"

He turns to look at me. "I want to, but it's not the right time. I promise that I'll tell you in time though, ok?"

I wish he would tell me, but it's really up to him to decide the right time I suppose. "Ok. I might have to give the letter back to you. I'll probably open it if I don't."

He laughs at me.

"Hey! At least I'm honest. And now, I'm getting hungry. Can we head back to camp?"

"Of course," he says, helping me up. We go back to the water to rinse off as much sand as we can, then make our way back up the narrow pathway to the top of the cliffs. We make our way back to the camp and spend the rest of the day with each other and the soldiers.

* * *

The next morning, we wake at dawn to make our way back to the Telmarine castle. Like my travels on the way to Cair Paravel, it was a smooth trip. Only this time, I'm not scared, nervous, or apprehensive about anything. We make good time and end up back at the Telmarine castle by mid-morning on the fifth day. Caspian and I get to the stables first, since we were riding in front of the pack. We dismount at the same time and my foot gets caught in the stirrup. I lean back a little, trying to retain my balance, accidentally but not begrudgingly nudging Caspian with my back. He turns around, and then sees my predicament.

"Ha! Whoa there girl. Is this your first time riding a horse?"

"Hey! Be nice to a woman in distress!" He smiles, then comes right behind me and wraps his right arm around my waist to make sure I don't fall over. I know that he's trying to help, but all of my concentration just goes to his hand resting on my right hip.

"Do you want to stay there all day?"

"What?" I ask, confused. Then I see that he's trying to hold back a hook on the stirrup so I can maneuver my foot through. "Oh! Sorry!" I quickly remove my foot. "You know, you're quite a good rescuer," I say as I hand Destrier's reigns to one of the ranch hands.

"You know, if you keep this up, I'm going to think that you're doing it on purpose."

I laugh, "You know, Stephen said that to me once…" I stop talking the second I realize what I had just said. I smile sheepishly. "Sorry. That just kinda came out."

Caspian smiles reassuringly. "I told you, it's ok. He was a big part of your life."

We start to walk inside when we run into Molly.

"Anna! Caspian! Thank Aslan you're both alright!" She quickly hugs us both then turns to me. "So what happened out there? Stephen came back yesterday. He barely spoke at all, except that he told one of the servants that he was leaving and he won't be coming back. He must have meant it because we haven't seen him since."

Relief floods over me when I hear that he respected my request. I link my arm into hers, and then explain everything to her while we three walk to the Professor's study. Caspian and I both want to find out the whole story behind our trip. Molly leaves us by the Professor's door, satisfied with my explanation of events. We say goodbye then head into the room. The Professor is at his desk, right where we usually find him.

"Dr. Cornelius, we have returned!" Caspian says cheerfully.

"Hello dear ones. I am overjoyed that you have returned safely."

Caspian grabs chairs for us and sets them across from the Professor's desk.

"I feel like we're back in school," I say.

We all laugh. "Maybe you can start back again, try to get as smart as me," Caspian says. I scoff at him and ruffle his hair.

"I can see that nothing has changed," says the Professor, shaking his head. "So, I assume that you are here for some answers?" Caspian and I nod, waiting for him to continue. "Well, first let me start by explaining that everything will be fine with the Ethanites. When we first met with Acotas, I realized that several of the key leaders from their land were missing. That's highly unusual, especially to not have the Prince or even his steward in attendance. Now, I had also been hearing rumors over the past several months that there was unrest with the Ethanite leaders. I hadn't heard the exact details, but I knew that Acotas was somehow involved. Judging by the events that transpired right in front of us, it seems as though Acotas was intent on bargaining, sharing, or maybe even taking the land at Cair Paravel. The Prince of the Ethanites, who has been on good terms with the Telmarines, would never have wanted to sour our relationship. So, when we saw Acotas with so few men, I knew that he wasn't on official business. He only had his own concerns, and he did not come with the blessing of the Ethanites."

Caspian and I look at each other. "It does make sense," he says. I agree. "But why did you send for Anna? Why not just send for the extra troops?"

"That part of the plan came about from a conversation that I had in a vision from Aslan the night before we received word of the Ethanites at Cair Parvel. First, he told me how closely your two paths would cross," he says, pointing between the two of us. "Then he told me that something would happen, and you would need to be brought together, but he wouldn't tell me anything more specific than that. He told me that I would be able to help, and that I should trust my intuition. So when we received word about the Ethanites the very next day after I had the vision, I knew that was the significant event Aslan told me about. However, I didn't want to bring Anna until I knew a little more, as I wasn't sure what part she would play in all this. So Caspian, I brought you and of course Stephen, since he was ambassador. I then realized what I told you just now about Acotas and his plan. Thankfully, we were able to stall him until you came with more soldiers. Then the rest has fallen into place."

We sit for a moment, digesting the information. The professor speaks again, "Anna, do you know why Aslan wanted you there?"

"Well, I'm not sure, to be honest. I did break up with Stephen, though, because of what happened there. He hid behind me when a soldier came rushing at us. Then Caspian saved me."

The Professor's mouth curls into a wide grin and he looks back and forth between Caspian and I. "Interesting."

Caspian speaks next. "I understand what you explained, but she could have been hurt, or worse, and I would have never…"

The Professor cuts him off, "Ah, but you see, Aslan also made it clear to me that your lives would not end during these events. I trusted that He knows what is best. And here we all are."

I look over at Caspian, who seems satisfied with his answer. "Alright. Thank you Professor. Now, I need to go meet with the Council so I can get caught up with what I missed in my absence. Can you have them meet me in the throne room in about an hour?"

"Of course, my dear Prince."

We get up and say goodbye to the professor, then I walk with Caspian to the throne room. We have the room to ourselves for a little while until the council members arrive. I go straight to his throne, draping myself over it like he usually does, my feet hanging over one of the arm rests. He goes and sits in the council chair that I sat in last time we were talking in here. I think back over everything that's changed since then in only a few short weeks. More than anything, I'm glad to be where we are now. We have a certain freedom now, knowing how we feel about each other. And when I'm ready, we can take it slow. We may have felt vulnerable when first sharing our feelings, but we experienced those vulnerabilities together. It's just another thing for us to share.

"You're being awful quiet over there, Prince."

"Sorry. I'm just thinking."

"What do you think about what the Professor said? Pretty crazy, huh?"

"Yah. I just keep thinking about Aslan and what he said. Maybe we were meant to be together all along. All I can keep thinking about is how I've known you practically my whole life, and I'm just now realizing what you really mean to me. I'm a little mad at myself. I should have snatched you up before Stephen even came around."

"It certainly would have saved a lot of time and trouble. But really, don't be so hard on yourself. What happened was meant to happen. We can't change the past. I would sure like to focus on the future instead, especially with you as King. Now come here. You're so far away."

He smiles and comes over to the throne. It's so wide that it's almost enough to fit two people, but not quite. I move so that I'm sitting upright and lean my back against one of the armrests. He comes and sits on the opposite armrest with his feet resting next to me on the seat of the chair.

"Are you scared? About being King, I mean?"

"No, not really. A little apprehensive maybe, but not scared. I know that I'll be a better King than Miraz, and the rest will fall into place." He's always been fearless and confident. I wish I was like that.

"You'll probably be pretty busy now, huh?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I will have to watch over Cair Paravel for one. I will also speak to the council about the Ethanites. I'm not quite sure yet what we will need to do after what happened with Acotas."

Almost as if on cue, the first of the council members begin to arrive. We both stand up and I give him a kiss on the cheek. Then I whisper, "Just save some time for me."

"Always," he replies.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked the chapter as things are finally starting to heat up between our two main characters! Just you wait until the next one that I'm working on now which should be up within the next few days...no more of this "just friends" business ;)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Alright lovelies...I believe this is a chapter that you've all been waiting for ;) As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 6

As I predicted, Caspian was extremely busy over the next three months. Cair Paravel's construction was already making decent headway, thanks to the commitment of hundreds of Narnians and Telmarines working around the clock. The council had also decided that Caspian should go to the Ethanites, just to ensure that we stay on good terms. Thankfully, they were just extremely apologetic and promised that we are still on good terms. It is a ten day journey each direction to get to their castle, so Caspian was gone for an entire month. When he finally got back last night, I practically tackled him. It was after sundown, and I knew that he must be tired from the consecutive days of traveling, but he refused to leave my side. We ended up going to the top of the highest tower really late, after most people were already in bed. We just laid side by side, arms linked, talking and laughing for hours. I almost kissed him, but I got too nervous at the last second. He has been so extremely patient, and hasn't made me feel pressured even one time.

It's been a long road, but I know that I'm finally ready for my Prince. I have thought a lot about relationships during the three months it has been since I broke up with Stephen. It's such a relief to finally have all that behind me, and looking back, it just feels like a faraway dream. My feelings for him felt so real while I was with him, but I realize that there's no way I was in love with him. By the end, I barely even wanted to see him, and that's no way to love someone. I thought I would need a lot of time to recover and reflect, but it was less than I expected. But still, the first few weeks were difficult. Caspian was wonderful, always giving me the right amount of space when he knew that I really needed to be alone. Then when I needed to talk about it, he would be there to listen and be a comfort. Those moments have finally passed, and I know that my heart has moved on.

It is finally the beginning of summer in Narnia. Every last bit of frost and cold of spring has gone and we can finally revel in the beauty of the new season. Caspian and I have always despised the cold, so we make the most out of summers. I especially love my summer wardrobe. My dresses are made of lightweight material and either have short sleeves or just thick shoulder straps. They feel so freeing after the heavy, constricting style of winter and spring.

I put on one of my favorite lavender dresses this morning and make my way down to the royal dining hall by the kitchens. The Telmarine castle has a few dining rooms, including a much nicer, formal one that we call the Grand Hall; however, Caspian and I usually eat in the smaller, more casual one by the kitchens. I find Ty, our favorite kitchen servant and tell her what I would like for breakfast, then go in and sit at the huge wooden table, finding that I'm alone in the room. I look out the window and watch the clouds slowly pass until Ty comes with my food.

"Here you are, Miss Anna."

"Thank you, Ty. It looks wonderful. You're my favorite for a reason," I say smiling at her.

"I thought I was your favorite," says Caspian, entering the room with some pretty crazy bed hair.

"Not when you look like that," I deadpan.

"Oh man. I knew I forgot something," he replies, running his hands through his hair. It only helps a little. He then gives his breakfast request to Ty before he turns back to me. He's sitting on the wooden bench across the table from me, and he scoots it in to be closer. "_I_ may look disheveled, but you look beautiful this morning."

"Thank you my darling."

Ty returns, now with Caspian's plate of food, and then leaves so we are alone again.

"So are you going to be working all day until late again?"

He smiles mischievously, "No, I am not."

"Oh?"

"There is a lot that I should be doing, but I'm only going to work until early afternoon. Then I'm thinking about stealing you away for the rest of the day."

"Oh really? And where will we be going?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could do a little horseback riding. And we haven't had a bonfire in a while, so we can find our place by the woods later on."

"You can't go now?"

"I wish I could. But don't worry. I'll work as fast as I can."

We both finish our breakfast, and then part ways as I try to find a distraction for a few hours. I decide to go into town for a little while. I go to my favorite tailor in town to get some more pants and tunics made for when I train. Thankfully, that kills just enough time for me to meet Caspian back in the dining hall for a meal before we leave. Then we both grab what we need for the day, and meet back up again at the stables. By the time I get there, our horses are saddled and ready to go.

Caspian comes up to me, "Do you want to ride Destrier?"

"No. I need to get used to her," I say, pointing to my horse. "I'd rather do that when I'm with you and not all alone."

He holds her steady while I mount her. "Have you named her yet?"

"I think I've decided on Kalani. Do you like it?"

"It's perfect," he says, mounting Destrier.

We ride for about two hours to the edge of the Wolfwood forest to a spot where we have been several times before. There is lots of good wildlife in this area, so we have come with small groups to hunt. And few years ago, we found some large rocks in the forest, so we made a circular fire pit. I'm glad we left it here, because it's been nice to come back to every so often. We relax and read for a while, thankful for a change of scenery. Then we get tired of that, so we decide to go explore the forest a little. The trees in the area have fairly large trunks and are really tall. There aren't too many low branches on them, which makes it easy to navigate and walk around. The bed of the forest is a mixture of a short, moist type of moss and some of the fallen leaves from the trees. We walk hand in hand, enjoying our time when I look up to suddenly see a beautiful blue bird flying between the trees. I walk faster to try to keep up with it, but as I'm looking up, my foot lands on a rock wrong. Then my other leg, trying to recover my balance slips on the moss, so I immediately fall to the ground. Caspian, still holding my hand, tries to keep me upright, but he loses his balance too. His legs land beside me, but his torso lines up right above mine, his head lying on my shoulder by my neck. I laugh hysterically, then he follows suit, so I know we are both ok. He leans back a little after we finally stop laughing.

"You've always been the clumsy one."

I reach up, trying to get his hair out of his face. "I just like to keep things interesting."

"That you do," he says, and then he stays like that for a few moments, looking into my eyes. Then he glances at my lips, but only for a second. I know that he wants to kiss me badly, but he's far too chivalrous to kiss me before I'm ready. Only, the problem is that I still haven't told him that I'm ready, so I realize that I'm going to have to initiate any further progression in our relationship. At least this is a problem with a simple fix. I just need courage.

We walk back to the camp and he builds a fire using kindling he collected from the forest. We cook our dinner over the fire as we watch the sun set in the distance. There are only logs for seating around the fire, but after dinner, I waste no time before snuggling up to Caspian and I lay my head on his shoulder. I grab his hand and we intertwine our fingers as we sit and watch the fire.

The fire starts to burn low, so Caspian frees himself from my grasp and goes to get more firewood. I know this is my opportunity to make it clear that I'm ready to be more than friends. I follow him for a few feet, but I'm afraid he'll get too far ahead of me, so I reach out with my right hand and grab his arm. He spins halfway around, looking down at his arm, then at me. "Anna, what?" Thankfully, he seems to pick up on my mood pretty quick. He turns to face me completely, and I step closer, leaving only about a foot between us. He takes his hands and rests them on each side of my face. I close my eyes because even that feels good and I clasp my arms around his lower back. It seems like an eternity of waiting, but finally for the first time, he leans his head down to mine and our lips meet in a passionate kiss. His lips are perfection and perfectly mold to my own. We are a little hesitant at first, testing the waters as we get to know ourselves in this new and exciting way. But it doesn't take me long to just let go and feel. My heart feels like it is going to pound right out of my chest. Then his hands leave my face, one threading into my hair on the back of my head and the other one leaves me completely so he can guide us until I'm pushed up against a wide tree trunk. His body presses tightly against mine against the tree. He then pulls away slightly because we are now both out of breath. He rests his cheek against mine for a few seconds while we slow our breathing a little, but thankfully, he's not quite finished with me yet. He gently tilts my head to the side and he begins a slow trail of kisses down my neck. I let out a little whimper when he lovingly teases one particular spot on my neck, opening his mouth and gently sucking on the skin. He then kisses back up my neck and presses a few more fervent kisses on my waiting lips, then he reluctantly pulls away. I've kissed a few boys when I was younger, but I know that nothing will ever compare to Caspian. I'm surprised that either of us could even stop.

"Wow," he says which makes me happy to know that he felt everything that I just did.

I rest my head back against the tree trunk. "Yah. Wow. I can't believe we've never done that before."

"My thoughts exactly," he says before leaning in again and pressing several more heated kisses on my lightly swollen lips. I weave my hand in his hair, and he nips then sucks on my bottom lip for a moment. Then he finally pulls away and presses a kiss on my forehead.

"I'm in love with you," I say because the moment is right, and it's exactly how I feel, heightened by this moment.

He looks at me, astonished, and then smiles brightly. "I'm in love with you, too."

This time, I kiss him, but we are less rushed. We pour all of our feelings into the give and take of our lips moving against each other, over and over again. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he continues to hold me against the tree. I'm getting out of breath again, so I move my hands to grasp either side of his waist and playfully push him back a little.

He smiles and bites his bottom lip. "Sorry. I've wanted to do that for a really long time."

"Don't be sorry. That was perfect."

I go back to the fire, while he collects more wood. I am completely content here in this moment and all that it means. He comes back with an arm full of kindling and drops it into the dying flames, then sits back down by me on the log. Our hands find each other again.

"Do you remember the note that I left for you in case something happened to me?"

"Of course. Are you finally going to tell me what it said?"

"Well, it's a little anti-climactic now, but it said that I'm in love with you."

"You were even back then?"

"Yah. I have been for a while," he says, looking a little embarrassed.

I reach up with my free hand and cup his opposite cheek. "I can't live without you."

"You won't have to. I'll always be here for you," he says, placing another kiss on my lips. And it wouldn't be the last.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here's another fun one. I'm so excited to post it! Read on for more excitement, I don't think it will disappoint! As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 7

It's hard to believe that Caspian and I have been together a month. Although our relationship really hasn't changed at all in that we treat each other exactly the same, it has only gotten more physical. That has been the real challenge, though, as we want to keep it private for now. We know that as soon as the Council finds out, they will do nothing but pressure him towards marriage. Neither of us is bothered by the idea of marriage, but this time is unlike any other that we have experienced, and we want to make the most of it without the added pressures and expectations that come with being royalty. Because of that secrecy, finding alone time with a Prince-soon-to-be-King is a lot harder than I thought it'd be. At times, we have had to resort to being alone in closets or side hallways that are rarely used.

I have some unexpected free time tonight, so I go down to the kitchens hoping that Ty can help me. I feel like making something but I'm not sure what yet, so I want to look through her recipes. I find her at the wash sink attending to some produce.

"Hey Ty!"

"Miss Anna! Do you need something this evening?"

"Actually, I was hoping to make something myself. I don't have much to do, so do you mind if I look through your recipes?"

"Not at all, my dear. Here, sit down and I'll bring 'em to ya."

"Thanks," I say, sitting on the tall bar stool next to one of the counters.

She returns momentarily with a large box, filled with tons of recipes on old yellow parchment. "Let me know if you need anything else my darling."

"Thanks. You're the best." I start to flip through the stack, but I get almost all the way through and still haven't found anything that I want to make yet. I suddenly crave a glass of wine, so I head to the cellar and pick out a bottle. When I return to the kitchen, I find Caspian standing by the counter, looking down at the recipe pile.

"Great minds think alike," I say.

His head pops up, "Anna! I didn't know you'd be in here. I thought you were going to spend the evening with Molly."

"I was, but she had to cancel. Her youngest brother is sick, so she went to help her mother."

"I see," he says as he opens his arms to me. I step into his wonderful embrace and hug him tightly, and then he sees the wine bottle. "Drinking alone?"

"Huh? Oh the wine! Ha. I had a craving for it while I was looking through Ty's recipes." I sit on one of the stools, thinking for a moment. "Wait, are you done for the day?"

He sits on the other stool, "Actually, yes. I came down here for something to eat. So what are you making me?" He asks playfully.

I grab his under his chin, and we lock our gazes. "What do you want?"

"Food? Or…." He says, looking hopeful.

"Yes, food, you old pervert."

"Old? I'm just a few months older than you!"

Ty's voice startles us, "You two still argue like you did when you were my little ones."

"Ty, I'm the good one. She's the troublemaker," Caspian explains, pointing at me.

She laughs at his remark. "Now, I don't mean to call the Prince a liar, but I seem to remember a boy of twelve coming in one night and stealing the candy meant for my cake decorations. And there was another time where a stack of china was broken. Oh—and there was…."

"You must be thinking of someone else," he cuts her off, sheepishly. He then lays his head down on his crossed arms on the counter.

Ty and I just laugh at him. I place my left hand on the back of his neck, massaging the skin there.

"Ty, is the recipe for my favorite honey bread in here?"

"Oooh, that's a good one. It isn't written down but I could start it for you, then you'd have to finish it. It takes a while though."

"That's ok."

"And I'll need a good pair of arms," she says, looking at Caspian.

He straightens up and flexes his muscles. "I'll help. What do I do?" He asks.

"Just wait a minute until I need help kneading it," she says. She starts by assembling the ingredients. While she does that, I go find some strawberries to wash so I can snack on them later. Just as I'm done with them, she calls Caspian over. Ty shows him what to do in order to mix the ingredients correctly. I laugh when she comes behind him and puts her arms around him to show him the proper hand technique for the dough. He looks up at me, mock horror and disgust in his eyes. Then she finally removes her arms from around him and tells him to continue for a few minutes while she leaves to attend another chore. I sit on a bar-stool across the counter from where he's standing. I watch as his face, looking down at the dough, begins to focus on his task. His lips are pulled thin and his eyebrows are slightly furrowed in concentration. My eyes wander down to his arms. He rolled his sleeves up, so I can see as his arms flex with every ministration while he expertly folds and presses the dough. For the first time, I let my mind wander, and I start to imagine what it would feel like with those hands on my body. I know these thoughts are just torturous though. Caspian and I are both virgins and we want to stay that way until we are married. Still, a girl can dream.

It's finally time for the dough to rest and rise, so he stops and washes his hands. He comes over and leans on the counter right next to me, so close that we're almost touching.

"Were you enjoying the view?" He asks playfully but seductively.

"Something like that. You look pretty efficient with those hands of yours."

"Maybe you'll find out someday," he says, then leans in for a kiss. I play coy for a second, leaning back a little, making him chase my lips. He grabs the back of the bar-stool and spins me around so I'm facing outward, away from the counter. He then takes one of his hands and gently grabs my chin, tilting it upward.

"Gotcha…" he says, first playfully nipping at my lips with his own, and then pressing them completely against my own. Yet again, I'm amazed by the feeling of his lips pressed against my own. My heart pounds with excitement as we enjoy the familiarity of each other.

He quickly pulls away and sits in the barstool next to mine when we hear Ty returning to the kitchen. I'm able to turn my chair back around towards the counter just in time as she walks in the door.

She looks at us both, "You're all done?"

Caspian smiles and says, "Mmhhmm."

She continues to stare at us questioningly. "Why do you always look like you're up to something?"

"Us? Never!" I reply as I loop my arm through Caspian's because lately, I'm not happy unless I'm touching him.

She rolls her eyes, then goes to inspect the dough. It must be good because she picks it up, lightly oils it, and then puts it in a covered bowl.

"Now, can I trust you two to finish the rest? I have to finish my chores for tomorrow and then get to bed."

"Of course! What do we do?" I ask.

"Let the dough rise for about an hour. Then punch it and knead it down just a few times. Cover it again in the bowl and let it sit for another 30 minutes. After that, just place it on the bread rack in the oven for about 30 minutes, and just watch it so it doesn't get too dark."

"I think we can do that. Thanks Ty!" I say.

"You're welcome. Goodnight my darlings," she replies and leaves us alone again.

"We're going to be waiting here a while. Oh well. At least we have strawberries," I say, reaching for the bowl of the fruit I collected earlier. We eat and sit and talk for a while. But I'm still craving honey and the bread is going to be at least an hour. I reach over the counter for the large honey jar. I take a small spoon and dip it in the thick viscous substance then quickly put it in my mouth. Delicious. I notice a drip of honey slowly running down the side of the jar, so I wipe it off with my pointer finger. I'm about to lick it off my finger when Caspian's hand grips my wrist and pulls it towards him. I swallow as I watch him pull my finger into his mouth. He stares at me while he slowly sucks the honey off my finger, and I can't help the heat that floods straight to my core. I love the feeling of his textured and moist tongue rubbing down and around my finger, licking it clean. He pulls my finger back out of his mouth with a smug look on his face and says, "I can see why you like that." I just sit stunned but happy in my chair.

He gets up and I watch him as he completes the next step of the dough, removing it from the bowl and kneading it again, and then returning it to the bowl. He washes his hands again then comes back over to me. "Now, what am I going to do with you for another 30 minutes?" He asks. I'm really enjoying this seductive, playful side of him, and I can't help but play along. I push my chair out and stand up, then hoist myself up on the counter in front of him, legs slightly parted.

"You're always saying that you're the smart one. I'm sure you'll figure something out," I reply.

He smiles, then steps closer to the spot between my legs. He reaches up and brushes my hair away from my neck, and then dips the tip of his finger in the honey. He wastes no time rubbing the honey on his favorite spot on my neck. The low fire in me continues to burn as he places his open mouth on the honey on my neck, sucking and licking vigorously. A small moan escapes my lips and I run both hands through his perfect hair. He puts both of his hands on my lower waist and scoots me even closer to the edge of the counter, our bodies pressed closer than they've ever been before. I can't help but squeeze my legs closer around him, holding him in place, right where I want him. The honey on my neck must be all gone because he starts a trail further up my neck. Then, I lower my head and press my lips fervently against his own. We move and caress and kiss and tease, guided only by our instincts and our love. Caspian's hands end up halfway under the back of my shirt, held against the softness of my skin just above the waistline of my pants. I know that if we don't stop soon, we'll go farther than we want. I press one more deep kiss against his lips then pull away and kiss his forehead, signaling our need to slow down. He pulls his hands from inside my shirt and just grasps my waist, not really wanting to go anywhere.

"So you think it's been 30 minutes yet?" I ask.

"Ha! I have no concept of time after that."

"Yah, I know what you mean."

He reluctantly backs up from me and goes to check the dough. It's finally ready, so he places the dough on the rack in the open fire oven. Now we just need to wait another 30 minutes as it bakes. We both sit back on the stools. I cross my arms on the counter and lay my head down on them, but turn my head so I can see him. I close my eyes as he comfortingly rubs his hand up and down my back.

"I love you so much," I say quietly.

"I love you too."

"How is Cair Paravel coming along?"

"It's going faster than they expected, actually. The outside structure is really taking shape. I'm going to have to go visit again soon."

"Already? You just got back from being gone for a whole month a couple of weeks ago."

"I know, my love. I'm going to be King soon, so there are certain things that I have to do."

"I hate when you're gone."

"Me too."

"Do you think that you'll have to work a lot more when you're King?"

"Hopefully not a lot more, but sometimes I will."

We continue to talk until the bread finally looks done. He carefully removes it from the oven, and then puts it on the clean part of the counter. I can smell the sweet aroma drifting through the kitchen, and it's the perfect light golden brown. After it rests for a minute, Caspian grabs a knife and cuts off a few slices for us. I blow it off a little then take a bite. It's exactly what I wanted.

"We're good cooks. We should cook together all the time," I tell him.

"Mmm. I only like cooking when it's you, me, and some honey," he says, looking over and winking at me.

"Yah, good thing Ty doesn't know about that." We laugh together, and then spend the rest of the evening trading stories, hopes and dreams.

* * *

A/N: True story: I've never made bread, so that required some research lol! I hope you all liked the chapter :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I was originally planning on making these two separate chapters, but decided to combine them, so it's the longest chapter so far. I liked it better as one longer chapter. It's a little different than the others for a little change of pace, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. Anyway, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 8

I look out at the moon from my spot on the chaise lounge by the fireplace in Caspian's study. It's extraordinary clear and dim, so dichotomous of the blinding sun, always passing in slow motion through the vastness of the sky. In some ways, I wish my life was like that-just passing by, so sure and steady, not questioning my purpose or plan. Lately, answers do not come easy and my heart is at war with my mind.

I have a book in my hand that I've been trying to read for the past hour, but I've finally given up after I found myself re-read one paragraph three times because I'm too distracted to even remember the last sentence. This isn't the first time I've been distracted over the past few weeks. I think back over the special moments that I've had with Caspian. I don't understand how we can be more focused and in sync with each other than we ever have before while also seeing each other much less than we ever have. I crave him to the point of restlessness. We have no choice but to be apart for days or weeks at a time. In the past month alone, he had to be away for two weeks to visit Cair Paravel. Then for the past two weeks, I haven't seen him for more than an hour a day because he has been working extremely long days dealing with land disputes. Apparently some Telmarines are trying to manipulate him by lying, saying they had agreements with Miraz while he was ruler. And today, for example, he was supposed to have lunch with me but his duties kept him away all day. He had sent Molly to tell me to meet him in his study tonight, but was already now three hours late for that too. I want him more than anything, but he's committed to something he cannot change. There are no easy answers, just mounting frustrations and heartache. I can't stop the questions in my mind. As far as I know, we are still at peace in the land, so how will I handle it if this is what his schedule will always be like? What if it's like this almost every day as King? Would I ever be ok sharing a life with someone like that, even if it is Caspian?

Maybe I'm overreacting. I know there are probably hundreds of girls who wish they could be in my position. I'm lucky to have what little time that I get with him. At least that's what I have to keep telling myself. I fall asleep on the chair, endlessly debating against myself in my mind.

I wake up to the sound of the door clicking shut. Opening my eyes, I look to the clock above the fireplace. 1AM.

"Caspian?"

"Yes, my love. It's me," he says quietly, walking over to me. He kisses me gently then sits down on the end of the chaise lounge, facing me.

"What happened? You were so busy all day," I say, unable to cover all the sadness in my voice.

He leans forward, rubbing his face with his hands. He has clearly had a long and stressful day. "I know. I'm sorry I had to cancel our plans. There were some more issues that I had to take care of."

"I know, but I really wanted to see you. It's been days. We live under the same roof and I hardly ever get to be with you."

"Anna, you know I can't help it. These things have to be done and I'm the only one that can do it. Please don't make me feel worse about it."

"I just—I've been waiting here all day for you. And I'm sick of never seeing you. It's been like this for weeks and is only getting worse."

"I know. And trust me. I'd be with you instead if I could. Besides, it should calm down in a few months."

"That's what you said a few months ago."

He sighs deeply. "Yes, that was before all these Telmarines tried to lie about agreements they claim they had with Miraz. I'm working with the council to get it sorted. I'm doing my best. I'm sorry. I know how hard this is for you. It's hard on me too."

"I just don't know if I can do this forever. And if this is how I feel now, how will I ever be Queen? I'm not like you."

He starts to look worried. "I'm glad you're not like me. I love you for who you are. Where is this coming from? You've never said anything like this before."

I start to avoid his gaze. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I'm so frustrated. If this is how it's going to be for you when you're King, then…." I can't bring myself to say the words.

Tears start to form in his eyes. "What? You'd leave me? Just like that? I can't stop my duties, Anna. You know that. I'm sorry that I have to keep this country together. And I love you. I need you."

"Yes, because again, it's all about you."

"All about me?"

"When will I get what I want?"

"I thought that a life with me is what you want." He just stares into the fire for a minute. "I have another busy day tomorrow. I probably won't see you. Although that's probably for the best anyway," he says in an even voice. With that, he stands up and walks over to the door. He pauses for a moment and turns around to look at me and says in a voice that is barely audible, "I really missed you today," then he walks out and closes the door.

My stomach sinks in instant regret.

I throw the book I had across the room, and then lay my head back against the arm of the chaise lounge and don't even try to stop the relentless stream of tears that are now cascading down my cheeks. I dissect our conversation in my head, knowing that I had just blown everything way out of proportion. Why do I always have to let my frustrations build until they come out and make a mess of things? Am I frustrated? Yes. But do I want to break up with him? I can't even imagine that, even though that's what I implied. Shit. I fall asleep on the chair, knowing that I deserve to feel every ounce of guilt for the things I said.

* * *

I wake up again the next morning to the sound of the door opening. I sit up to see a relieved Molly come through the door. She walks over and sits in one of the chairs close by.

"Good morning sunshine!" She greets cheerfully.

"Hey," I basically croak.

"Wow! Aren't you in a great mood this morning? I just went to your room and got nervous because you weren't there."

"Yah. I didn't mean to stay here all night. I guess I fell asleep."

"That's a good observation," she says, trying to joke with me. I don't even smile. "Ok. So, next question…what's wrong with you?"

I think for a moment, gathering my thoughts. "I'm a complete idiot. That's what's wrong."

"Tell me something I don't know." I can't hold back a little bit of a smile and send a death glare at her.

"I'm a horrible person. I was really mean to Caspian last night."

"Mean?"

"Yah. I don't know. I've told you how frustrated I've been with him being gone so much lately," she nods. She's the one person I've been talking to about everything up to this point. "Well, I haven't really said anything to him about it until last night and then I said everything at once. I don't know why I always keep everything in. He didn't even really know what to say. I'm so stupid."

"I'm sure you can go talk to him about it. He'll understand."

"I really hurt him, Molly. I even threatened to maybe leave him," I say quietly, horrified to even say the words out loud.

"What? Whoa. You really were upset," she says, surprised.

"I know. But instead of telling him like a normal human being, I just got angry and said things I regret."

"Well, I wasn't there to hear everything that you said to him. But I do know Caspian. You know that you mean the world to him, right? He'll forgive you." I feel a little better, hearing that from her. She continues, "Please talk to him soon though. I saw him this morning. He looked like hell."

"Maybe I'll go see Dr. Cornelius first. He might have an idea of when I can go see Caspian."

"Good idea. Now go back to your room and I'll bring your breakfast," she says, pulling me up from the chair.

* * *

After I eat and change, I go straight to the Professor. He always knows just what to say. I find him reading a book in his study.

"Professor! Do you have a minute?" I ask.

"Anna, my dear. I always have time for you. Come, have a seat," he says warmly. I sit in the chair across from his desk. He gazes at me, "You look troubled. What's bothering you?"

"Well, a few things. I hate to bother you, but I know I can trust you with this."

He smiles, "Whatever it is, of course I will try to help."

"It's actually about Caspian. And me. It's my fault, really. You see, we've been keeping it a secret-we've been courting for a few months now. But please don't tell anyone…"

He looks extremely pleased with the news. "Whatever you say will not leave this room. I can assure you of that."

"Thank you. Anyway, we're in love. But it's been so hard on me with him gone all the time. You know what it was like when we were growing up. We've been inseparable practically our entire lives. I know that I don't want a future with anyone else, but I'm so afraid that as King, he'll be gone even more than he is now. And besides that, I can't see myself as Queen. I've never even thought of that possibility until now. It's terrifying. Queens are brave and strong. I'm just an orphaned girl who just happened to be lucky enough to grow up in the castle."

He smiles encouragingly, "My dear Anna, if only you could see yourself as others see you. Now, I'm not sure if you'll remember this story or not, but when you were both five years old, I took you both into town for the day for a festival that was around for a few days. Without me even telling you to do so, you both held hands as we walked. You wanted to stay together, and you were like that for the entire day. Townspeople would try to talk to you, but Caspian would always step in front, protecting you from even the remotest possibility of harm. You two have a stronger bond than most people will ever see in a lifetime. And that my dear is one of many examples that I have of you two. You have always looked out for each other, and you cannot stand to be apart. You two, in a way, became your own family. And I think that's why it's hard on you now. You will have to adjust, but sometimes, caring for someone is worth the sacrifice."

I sit for a moment, digesting his words. He continues, "Here's a recent example-do you remember several months ago when we went to meet the Ethanites at Cair Paravel?" I nod. "Well, when it all started, we needed to leave quickly, but all he could think about was you. He was furious at me for not letting him say goodbye to you but unfortunately, we didn't have time. And of course, he did end up leaving Destrier for you, but that you already knew. You see, even facing uncertainty and danger, he thought of you first. He loves you, Anna. And even when it seems as though his priorities lie elsewhere, I assure you-you are first."

I feel a lone tear escape down my cheek. I know that he's right. "I know. Maybe I'm just being selfish for wanting him all to myself."

"It's ok to want something like that," he says, then pauses for a moment. "You know, you always resist change at first. But when you accept it, you learn and grow from the experience. This next journey for you won't be any different. And I have faith in all your abilities, including being a leader of this country."

"I just don't know if I can be Queen…"

"Anna, you love this country and its people. You are smart. And your support of Caspian makes him a stronger person—and vice-versa. You will work through it together. Besides, I know that there are many that already admire and respect you for who you are. They would be grateful to have a Queen like you. And I am so proud of what both of you have become."

I wipe the tear off my face. "Thank you. I guess I've just felt really alone. I'd be stupid to let Caspian go, huh?"

"I had always hoped that you two would end up together. You've always been so good for each other. Like I said, I know for certain that he will do anything for you. You would be wise to be patient. Work with him, and talk to him about how you feel."

"You're right. You always know what to say."

"I only tell the truth, my dear."

"So do you know where I might find him today?"

"I believe he will be in the throne room."

"I'm nervous to go talk to him. I really hurt him yesterday—or technically early this morning."

"Don't let that fear overwhelm you. He will understand."

I get up from my chair and step around to give him a hug. "Thank you for listening and for your encouragement."

"Like I said before, my dear—I always have time for you."

I leave his study feeling more secure and confident than I did when I entered. Now to just find Caspian….

* * *

I walk to the throne room, thinking about how lucky I am to have such wonderful men in my life. I don't really deserve either of them.

I get to the doors of the throne room in the mid-afternoon and the guards confirm they are still in session. It isn't until I return at dusk that the guards finally nod that it's ok for me to go inside. Thankfully, they didn't go as late today as they did yesterday. I quietly open the huge black doors. At first, I think I may have missed him because he's not on the throne. But then I see the curtain is drawn back by the balcony, and I can see him leaning against the stone balcony watching the last of the sunset. I move quietly across the stone floor and don't stop until I lean up against the balcony too, just a little space between us. He glances over to look at me for a second, but I think he guessed it would be me. He just lets out a deep sigh then looks back at the beautiful dwindling sunset. I know I'm going to have to speak first. It was my fault anyway.

"I know that you didn't think that you'd see me today. But I wanted to come apologize." I pause, trying to make sure my words are clear. "I'm sorry about what I said to you last night."

"What are you sorry about?"

"What?"

"I said, what are you sorry about? I need you to be clear. Anna, I don't know what's going on in that head of yours unless you tell me."

"I know. And that's my fault. I know that I need to work on that. It's just…I've been so frustrated. I hardly get to see you, especially these past few weeks. I don't know. I guess I was just so used to seeing you all the time. And I started to get scared, thinking that it'll always be like that. I can't see myself just waiting around all day."

"That's what you're scared of? I know I've been busy lately, but trust me. I don't want that either and I won't always be this tied up with my duties. We've just had a few big issues come up lately, mostly land disputes and law modifications. I'm here by necessity and duty, not by choice. I really would rather be with you than anywhere else."

"I know. I don't know what my problem was last night. It was so much at once and I what little time we have together has been so perfect, so I never wanted to bring it up. And I don't want to leave you. I shouldn't have even implied that. I don't think I could ever leave you. We've been through so much together, and…I need you," I say, looking over at him. He already looks like a huge weight has been lifted, and the stress between us was diminishing. I walk over and turn his body a little so I can wrap my arms around him in a tight hug. I nuzzle my head into his neck, and it is comforting as always to feel him wrap his arms tightly around me too. We stand like this for a few minutes, watching the last remnants of the orange sun dip slowly beyond the horizon. He pulls back and places a finger under my chin, tilting it up towards his face.

"I love you. And you're the most important person in the world to me. Never forget that…" He says, and then presses his lips against my own. Every ounce of anger, hurt, and pain melts away in that kiss. I don't think my heart can hold any more love for this man. We finally pull away and he holds my head in his hands. "Please talk to me if you're feeling apprehensive about something. I want to be the one that you talk to, and I'm here for you, no matter what."

"I know. The only thing I'm nervous about is being Queen."

"You need to stop being so nervous about that. There is no one else that I would want by my side. And it's just one of those things that you can't really prepare for. But I know that you have what it takes. I have to say—I'm a little nervous too, even though I've grown up knowing that I'd be King one day. But I trust in Aslan and his plan, and it's a good feeling to know that I have the support of the Narnians and Telmarines. Plus, we won't be alone. We have each other, the council, the Professor. Besides, everyone loves you."

I pull him into another hug. "Thank you. For being you. You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"Well, I have known you quite a while. And I love you and hate to see you hurting." He bends down and gives me another kiss. "Now come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry."

We make our way down to the kitchens to find a group already there. Molly, the Professor, Glenstorm, a few other familiar faces from various stations and of course Ty are hanging around. I notice the extra happy looks on Molly and the Professor's faces, seeing the two of us together again. On impulse, I almost kiss Caspian, but then remember that Molly and the Professor are the only two that know about us yet. We'll have to tell our news soon so we don't have to really sneak around.

Molly comes up and gives me a hug. "Everything good?"

"Yes, everything is good. We just came down to eat."

"Here, go sit down. I'll bring you guys something."

We don't intend for everyone to follow us into the casual dining hall, but that's what happens. Caspian and I are the only ones that haven't eaten yet, but Ty brings a huge barrel of mead in for us all. We sit around eating and drinking for a fun few hours. Later in the evening, Caspian even challenges Glenstorm to a footrace, which is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Caspian's fast, but not as fast as a Centaur with four legs. Glenstorm is usually so serious, so it was fun to see him cut loose too. I sit and watch the mirth around me, and realize how different the castle is with Caspian in authority instead of Miraz. Now here we are, months later, with Narnians and Telmarines together enjoying each other's company. And I can see the way everyone looks up to Caspian, respecting him as a leader and a person, without the fear. Even us all being in this room tonight shows that he's not so above the servants and soldiers that he won't connect with them on a basic human level. It's beautiful to watch.

It's getting pretty late, and most of us are at least a little tipsy. Caspian and I just get really goofy when we've had a little too much to drink. He suddenly jumps up from his spot on the bench and grabs my hand, pulling me up to follow him. He yells, "Goodnight!" to everyone, then he pulls me behind him at a run, and I hear their laughter behind us.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know. But I don't want to leave you yet!"

We continue to run through the castle until we end up at a familiar place—his bedroom.

"Really?" I ask.

He rolls his eyes. "You know you love my room. Come on!" He says and pulls me inside.

He goes over and starts a fire in the fireplace, although it takes him a little longer than usual. I just go sit on his couch, watching him. Then he goes over to his wardrobe, opening it widely. "Oh yes—these are nice." He says. I burst out laughing when he turns around. He has started to try on the most ridiculous outfits from his wardrobe and is now sporting a rather hideous, large hat that was given to him as a gift a few years ago. He's never worn the thing—thankfully. I jump up from my spot on the couch. "My turn!" I say excitedly. For the next hour, we play dress up in the most outlandish combinations that we could imagine. It's been a while since we laughed that much.

The alcohol has now burned through our system and we start to get sleepy, so much that I can barely keep my eyes open. I curl up in his bed, under the soft sheets and covers. I smile, registering the smell of Caspian from all around me. He follows right behind, lying beside me, so I readjust and fall asleep almost immediately on his chest.

It's mid morning by the time I first start stirring. I wake up stifling, but thankfully without a hangover because I didn't drink quite enough to have a massive headache. I sit up, remembering where I am. I mentally chastise myself—it won't be good for me to be leaving his room with the clothes I was wearing yesterday. I look down at myself. I'm actually still wearing most of Caspian's clothes from our antics last night. I have on horrid dress robes over my own clothes. I look over at Caspian, who is also now finally waking up. I bend down over him and press a kiss to his lips.

He opens his eyes, "Oh—I was wondering who was in bed with me."

I punch his arm hard. "Who did you think it'd be? You better not have other women…"

He sits up and holds a hand on the back of my head, pulling me into another kiss, which I eagerly return. We've never slept in the same bed before.

"You're the only one I've ever had over. That's quite the way to wake up. And you're so presentable." We both look down at my outfit and laugh.

"Hey, you look pretty great too!" He's wearing the most horrible blue suit over his clothes.

"Why did you keep all of these?"

"I didn't realize how much I have. I kept throwing them to the back. I mean really—who gives these things as gifts?"

"I think they just wanted you to look bad."

"Well, you look good in my clothes no matter what."

"Thank you, my darling," I say then pull him into another kiss. I was going to stop, but it feels so good. I wrap my arms around his neck and continue to mould my lips against his. It's awkward the way we're sitting, so without really realizing what I'm doing, I climb up onto his lap, straddling him on his bed. I relax, feeling so complete here in his arms with our bodies so close. I have to bend over a little to press heated kisses down his neck. I feel his arms tense and he moans in my ear. I'm enjoying myself so much that I don't really realize how out of hand we've gotten until my hips buck forward and I graze his hard manhood. I tense immediately then disentangle myself from him, sitting on the bed beside him. "I'm sorry. I got a little carried away."

"It's ok. We needed to stop anyway. We haven't really talked about it since we've been together, but I want you to know that I feel the same way. I want to wait for marriage."

"Yah. That's what I still want too."

"I can't wait to marry you," he says, looking at me like I am his greatest goal in life.

I bite my bottom lip. "We haven't really talked about that either," I say.

"You and me getting married, you mean?"

"Yah."

"Well, I think we've just been thinking it and talking about it without really saying it. But I want to marry you more than anything, even more than becoming King. I'm so in love with you. Even when you're dressed like that," he says, and we laugh. He gets serious again. "I want to marry you before the coronation."

"That's less than six months from now."

"I know. I just want you to be completely mine, and I want everyone to know it. And we can be crowned King and Queen on the same day. I want to share everything with you."

"That sounds perfect," I say as he leans in for another kiss. "Are you going to be in trouble for being late today?"

"Probably. But I don't care. We needed this. But it'll be better soon, I promise."

I give him one last kiss then carefully sneak out of his room. Thankfully, there are no guards to see me leave. I walk back to my room, dreaming of the possibilities of my life with my Prince. I know it'll be better than I can even imagine.

* * *

A/N: As always, thanks for reading! Just wait and see what I have in store for the next chapter...there's a lot of water involved :)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is one of my personal favorites. It's actually one of the first chapters that I wrote for this story. I'll explain at the end where the idea came from :) As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 9

I get up at my usual time feeling happier than usual. Caspian has still been extremely busy, but has done everything he can to see me a little more often. I'll take any time with him that I can get. And I feel better now that he knows all my fears and concerns. He has been such a huge emotional support for me, and our relationship has never been stronger. I step out of my room to make my way down to breakfast when I unexpectedly find Caspian leaning against the wall across from my room. He's dressed more casual than usual, which I always like because it seems like his normal self and more like the guy I grew up with. Today, he's wearing a light white tunic, tan riding pants, and his usual dark riding boots. He reaches across the hall and pulls me close, giving me a kiss that takes my breath away. Pulling back, he quickly and quietly asks, "Do you trust me?"

I smile and reply confidently, "Of course I do."

"Then follow me," he answers in return, taking my hand and leading me down the hallway.

He leads me through the castle, using mainly unused and quiet corridors, some that I've never even seen before. After several minutes of winding quietly through the castle, we come through one final set of doors, which open into a small courtyard. There, the Professor is standing with Caspian's horse, Destrier. I notice a bag of equipment behind the saddle. He must be taking me somewhere, I realize excitedly. Caspian walks over to the Professor and pats him on the shoulder.

"Is everything still okay here?"

"Yes. With any luck, they won't even know you're gone. I can keep everyone distracted long enough. Go my Prince, enjoy your day!"

"Thank you Professor!"

With that, Caspian mounts Destrier and reaches down to help me up. I get up and hold onto him tightly, arms wrapped around his torso. We ride off, using some kind of hidden side path away from the castle that I've never seen before. When we finally get far enough away, I ask, "Are you going to tell me where you're taking me, my dear Prince?"

"I'm kidnapping you for the day. I hope you don't mind…"

"I suppose I can put up with you for a whole day," I say, kissing the back of his neck.

"Well good. I wouldn't want my lady to be unhappy, now would I?"

"Oh most definitely not!" I reply, hugging him closer as we pass into the tree line.

We spend about an hour more in comfortable silence, briefly speaking here and there. I've never been to this part of the forest. It must be safe, or else Caspian would never have brought me here, especially without any guards. Suddenly, we begin to hear the light trickle of moving water, like a small stream. Wherever it is, we are moving towards it, and we are also getting closer to an open area up ahead.

Finally, through the trees, we can see a small cottage in the clearing. The source of the water is there as well: a small stream which feed into a fairly large lake a few hundred feet from the cottage. We dismount from the saddle, and then Caspian ties Destrier to one of the trees with enough slack that he can eat the tall grass.

"Why don't you go have a take a look inside while I get the bags and get him water," Caspian says, handing me a small key.

I walk to the grey stone cottage and opened the door. It's fairly small, only having one main room. There is a kitchen, including an open fire pit for cooking, and a large wooden table with benches. Then on the other side of the room, there is a large oak four poster bed and some other various pieces of furniture. It is sparsely decorated compared to our castle, but I love it because it is cozy and warm. The room feels bigger than it actually is because of several large windows looking out onto the lake. I've never been to a more peaceful place. Even though I love the castle, it is relentlessly bustling with some sort of activity in most rooms throughout the day. Here, all I can hear is the stream, the wind grazing the leaves of the trees, and the chirping of several breeds of Narnian birds. I look around the room again, wondering why Caspian brought me here. I look over at the bed and start to get a bit nervous. Are we going to spend the night?

At that moment, Caspian walks in and leans on the door frame. I think he senses my trepidation. He nods at the bed, "Don't worry. We're not spending the night here. I just thought we could use a quick getaway for the day. I know that we still don't get enough alone time together at home, much less anywhere else. The court never would have allowed me to come without guards, so I had Dr. Cornelius bring a squad out this way yesterday to check the area. And most importantly, he promised to keep it a secret. I know I didn't give you a lot of notice, so I hope its ok…"

"It's absolutely perfect. Thank you. We did need this. So, what are we going to do today? You're not just going to have me cook all day in here, are you?" I ask, teasing him.

Caspian chuckles, "Well, we did have a good time cooking together last time…but no. I thought we could go for a swim on such a beautiful day."

It's true. The day is warm, with very few clouds in the sky. And since it's the beginning of September, the water should still be warm at least for a little longer this year. But I didn't bring clothes. Caspian once again notices my slight distress. "Don't worry. I planned for that too. I brought us both some clothes to swim in, and towels. And we have a picnic lunch as well."

I nod happily. I like this plan. "So are you a mind reader now, or am I just that predictable?" I ask, referring to him answering the questions I didn't even have to ask just now.

"You're pretty predictable, my love." He walks over, grasping under my chin with one of his hands. "Your face tends to show what you're thinking. It's one of many things that I like about you." He crushes his lips against mine. We haven't been by ourselves like this in a long time, completely free to do what we want. He pulls back before we get too heated.

Now that we are both in on the plan, I collect my conservative Narnian swimwear that he packed for me: shorts and the top like a sleeveless t-shirt, both made out of lightweight material made for swimming. Then, I change in the house. When I'm done, I walk outside, finding that Caspian must have changed outside behind the house. I simultaneously smile and blush a little when I notice a shirtless Caspian waiting for me in the yard. I'm thankful that he's facing away from me so he doesn't see my reaction. It's a funny reaction though, because of the countless times that I've seen him shirtless while we grew up. But now, it's different because of the way our relationship has changed. And it doesn't help that he has definitely gotten stronger recently, as his back and shoulders are clearly built and defined more than they were before. I also love the two little dimples on his lower back just above the waistline of his swimming shorts. I suddenly hope the water is cold….

He finally hears me approaching and turns to speak over his shoulder. "You ready?" he asks. I just nod in return, noticing him smirk as I pass him to go to the wooden dock at the water's edge, which extends into deeper water. Since I'm in front of him, he takes the opportunity to scoop me up bridal style into his arms. I playfully scream, "Caspian! Let me down this instant!" We can't stop laughing and know how this is going to end anyway. Of course he doesn't listen, and he jumps, sending us both in at the same time. We both quickly rise to the surface, laughing and sputtering. I splash him, since that's the only way I can get him back.

We splash and play around for a while, until he decides to chase me to a cluster of boulders nearby. I have the brilliant idea of climbing up onto one to escape, as the water is only waist deep, but they end up being too tall and round for me to get any leverage. I immediately turn around to try to escape another way, but he is already within a few feet of me, ready to strike. He rushes at me and easily entraps me in his arms. "Gotcha," he says. I wrap both of my arms around his neck in defeat. We waste no time meeting our lips in another kiss. Caspian already has his hands around my waist, and I decide to be a little bolder than usual. Not breaking our heated kiss, I quickly kick my legs up and wrap them around his waist. He backs up a little to get into slightly deeper water, so he can hold me easier. We're normally almost the same height, so in this position, I'm actually a little above him, providing me with more control. The combination of thrilling sensations is intoxicating. The feeling of his wet lips moving and sliding against my own is exhilarating. It doesn't take us too long to get out of breath, so I pull back for a minute. I leave one arm around his neck and brush the hair out of his face with my other hand. He just stares at my face, but with that one look, I've never felt more wanted. In that moment, I know that I would rather be here with him than anywhere else, although I've been getting that feeling a lot lately. I take my free hand and thread it into his dripping wet hair on the back of his head. I smile, realizing it feels even softer than normal. It must feel good to him, because he shudders for a moment, and then closes his eyes. He licks his lips, and just like that, I'm on fire again. I smash my lips against his with even more urgency this time. Acting on instinct, I press my body up closer to his. Even with my swimming shirt on, it still feels amazing to be pressed up against his toned chest. Suddenly, I feel his tongue licking along my lips, so I part them, allowing him entrance into my mouth. Our tongues duel as we taste and feel each other with our mouths. After a minute, I pull away again panting.

"I love you," he says quietly. "But I won't be able to stop if we keep going." He looks a little guilty, but he shouldn't. I'm the one spurring us on. I press one more passionate kiss against his lips, and then carefully lower myself down from his body. Then I submerge myself back in the water, splashing him one final time and swim back towards the dock, with him following right behind me. We get back on land, and I get excited when he points out a wide hammock slung between two trees. He drapes our towels on the hammock and lowers himself onto it first. Then he gestures for me to come and join. I tuck myself in under his arm and rest my head against his shoulder. There is just enough of a warm breeze to keep us warm while we dry off. Usually I can't fall asleep outside, but I'm so comfortable that I drift off for a while. I wake up to a soft pair of lips pressing gently against my own. I kiss him back, completely content in yet another peaceful moment.

"We need to go soon, or else we won't be back until after nightfall," he says softly.

"I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you forever."

"I wish the same, my love."

I sit up, but can't bring myself to get up yet. I look down, admiring his chest, and I can't help but run my hand over it. His skin is so soft but I can feel the hardened muscles under my fingertips. My hands run down to his abdomen, and then he sits up. He holds my hand with his own but keeps it resting on his skin.

"You are quite the temptress."

"I can't help it. I get so little time with you, so you're extra tempting now that we're alone. And you don't have a shirt on…"

"Oh, I get it. Believe me, I can't wait to marry you and get you alone. You think its good now, but just you wait," he says with an air of confidence.

"I'll make sure to hold you to your promise," I say.

He nods then presses several kisses against my lips. I wrap my arms around him, feeling his strong back. Then I press on his chest a little and he lies back down on his back on the hammock. I know I probably shouldn't push our luck, but I can't fight the temptation to kiss him in places I haven't before. I start along his jaw line and hold on to the sides of his waist as I kiss down the planes of his stomach. He moans and I can feel the vibration under my lips. I get to the top of his belly button, and then start a trail of wet open mouthed kisses on the way back up. When I'm finally up by his face again, he sits up and our lips meet again, mouths open and exploring. I'm completely surrounded by the taste and smell of my Caspian as we get lost in each other. It starts to be too much, so we both pull away, resting our foreheads together while we regain our composure. We always have to stop around the same time, or we know we'll get too carried away. I know that we probably aren't as cautious as we should be, because when we are alone, we can barely control our lust for each other. Thankfully, we're both determined to wait, or it would be even more of a challenge. It's just that everything that happens with him feels right. We really do seem to be made for each other.

"I think that was a good preview for the both of us," he says, in light of his comment earlier, which makes me laugh.

"I think so. But I guess we really should go."

We get off the hammock and I go in the cottage, changing back into my regular clothes while he changes again around the back. The ride back to the castle is peaceful and beautiful. There are barely any clouds in the sky, and hardly any wind. The world is still and serene. I'm not really excited to get back to the castle, but I know we can't escape forever. Caspian drops me off in the small courtyard that we left from, and then he takes Destrier back to the stables. We're both starving, so we decide to meet right back up in the kitchen. I get there first, and have Ty start our dinner for us. When Caspian enters, we go into the dining hall and sit across from each other like we always do. Caspian holds out his hands on the table, and I reach out and hold them. I look over his face, which is now just a little pink from the prolonged exposure to the sun today. I know that mine must look the same. I feel so refreshed after today and am pleasantly relaxed after spending the day in the water and the sun. Being deeply in love doesn't hurt either.

"Thank you for today. That was the best day that I've had in a while," I tell him.

"Me too. I'm glad we got to spend all day together."

We're smiling like idiots when Ty brings our food in. I think she is beginning to suspect that there's something different with us.

"Well you look like you had a good day," she says.

Caspian looks up at her happily as she puts a plate in front of him. "We did, actually. We spent all day together. And I'm going to tell you something that not many people know: we're in love."

I look at him, shocked that he just told her. I'm fine with it, because in a lot of ways, I want people to know so we don't have to keep sneaking around all the time. I just didn't know he was ready yet. Ty's reaction is priceless. A huge grin spreads onto her face and she looks back and forth between Caspian and me.

"Did you say what I think you just said?" She asks excitedly.

"I believe so."

She rests her hand on Caspian's shoulder, looking happily at him. "That's the best news that I've heard in a very long time, my Prince. I'm very happy for you both."

"Thank you. Now can you do me a favor and ask Dr. Cornelius if he can meet me here as soon as possible?"

"Of course I can," she says, and then leaves the room.

Caspian starts eating while I watch him, not touching my plate yet. He finally looks up at me.

"We're going to tell everyone?" I ask with happiness evident on my face.

"Yes, if you're ok with it. I don't want to have to keep it a secret any longer."

"Me neither."

When Dr. Cornelius comes in towards the end of our meal, Caspian gives him permission to tell the news of our relationship to the council. The moment feels right to the both of us.

Caspian walks me back to my room. I stand in front of the door and try to open it, but he places one of his hands against it so I can't open it. I turn around and lean my back up against the door. He puts his other hand on the other side of me on the door, so now I'm trapped between his arms.

"So. Everyone will know now," he says.

"Mmhhmm. At least tomorrow they will. We'll be the talk of the town."

He steps in just a little closer. "I don't care about that. I'm just glad that I can finally do this…" He says, pressing a kiss against my neck. "And this…" His lips kiss on the other side of my neck. "And this…" He kisses me passionately against my lips several times. "…Whenever I want." He then lowers his head to where his lips are as close to mine as they can be without actually touching. "I hope you're ready for that," he says, then he drops his arms and walks away, leaving me dumbfounded and desperate for more.

* * *

A/N: I hoped you liked this one! It was fun to write. The idea actually came from some recent glorious pictures of our favorite Ben Barnes, wet, with a white (see through) t-shirt. I think my jaw dropped the first time I saw them lol! If you're on Instagram (or haven't seen the pics), find user/photographer "lesaamoore" to see them. You won't be disappointed, I promise ;)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 10

Christmastime in Narnia is my absolute favorite time of the year. The castle is normally so dark because it's made of such dark stone, but it transforms in early December every year when the servants get together and decorate the inside with greenery and bright red Poinsettias. It makes the castle seem much more charming, especially when the Christmas trees are brought in and decorated too. It has become an annual tradition to help Molly with her decorating, and she always helps me decorate my room.

"So did you hear?" She asks me as we push a cart filled with plants and decorations up to my room.

"Hear what?"

"Apparently, there's going to be a pre-coronation ball thrown for Caspian soon. Like in a couple of weeks."

"No, I didn't hear about it. Does he know about it?"

"I think so. I mean, he might not yet, but it's not supposed to be a surprise or anything. Anyway, I was talking to Dr. Cornelius this morning, and he wants to bring in a dance instructor to teach a bunch of us contra dancing."

Great. Dancing. "Wait, I have to do it?"

"Well, I think you need to. They want you and Caspian to dance together with everyone. Contra is usually with a bunch of people, so it's a lot of fun."

"Yah, for you maybe! Caspian and I are both horrible at dancing."

"Oh, I've seen both of you, so I know that's true. But contra is more about learning the steps more than having lots of technique. You'll be fine. Trust me, if I can learn it, you can learn it."

"Well, I don't really want to do it, but it sounds like I don't have too much choice in the matter."

"That ah girl!"

We get to my room and spend the morning decorating it and by the end, it looks perfect just like it does every year. Molly has a wonderful eye for decorating it just right. I look at the cart, seeing that we have a lot left. "What are you doing with all these?"

"They're for Caspian's room. We'll go there next."

Caspian's room is just a little ways away from mine. We knock to make sure it's ok to enter. Thankfully, it's silent and empty. Even though he's not in here, I love being in his room. It reminds me of all the hours that we've spent in here throughout our childhood. I find a shirt lying on his bed, and it must be the one that he slept in. I pick it up and smell the neck of it. I think about stealing it because it smells so good. I look over at Molly, who's staring at me.

"Don't be gross."

I throw my head back and laugh. "I know, I'm sorry. I can't help it."

"You two couldn't be more perfect for each other. That's the only reason that all of us put up with you."

I grin and can't hide my embarrassment. We probably should be more careful at times during our more passionate encounters. Sometimes, we can't seem to help ourselves. We've been together for over six months now, so it's getting harder and harder to control our urges. Every time we're together, we just want more, although I'm still waiting for him to propose. Since he wants us to get married before his, or I guess our, coronation, that doesn't leave a ton of time left. At least it will be a quick engagement. Then there will be nothing from stopping us from….

Molly clears her throat, snapping me instantly out of my thoughts. I realize that I've been biting on my lower lip. I put Caspian's shirt back on the bed, then go to help Molly with her decorating. We get about halfway through when Caspian comes through the door.

"Hey Princey," says Molly.

"Hey Molly Mayhem."

"Ugh. Will you ever let that go?"

"Nope. Especially when you call me Princey. It's only fair," he tells her then comes and gives me a kiss. "It looks good in here," he continues. "Do you need any help?"

"No, we're fine. But thanks," I say.

He smiles and lies on his bed, watching me. I smile at him then go back to my work. "So did you hear about the dancing lessons?" I ask him.

"Ugh. Yes," he says, sounding very annoyed with the idea. "I tried to talk the Professor out of it, but he won't budge. The council wants us to do it too. I don't think we have much of a choice, even though you know how I feel about dancing."

"Hey, let's not forget how awful I am too. We'll be bad together."

"We already are bad together," says Caspian, winking at me.

"Eewwwwww. Seriously?" says Molly, horrified.

Caspian and I laugh at her, and I decide to gross her out even more because she's so easy to mess with. I drop what I'm doing and go over to the bed quickly and climb in. He realizes what I want to do, so he sits up, and we start kissing like crazy. It gets even better when he makes exaggerated moaning sounds. It's hard for me to keep kissing him when I'm trying not to laugh. Our little scheme does the trick because the next thing we hear is Molly screaming, running out of the room.

"Do you think she'll ever come back?" he asks.

"I don't think so. That probably scarred her for life."

"Oh well. That was pretty fun…way more fun than our dancing lessons will be. The Professor is going to tell me later today when we will get started."

"You better not step on my feet," I caution him.

"Well, if I do, I'll kiss you to make up for it."

I think for a second. "I guess that would be okay."

* * *

The lessons start a few days later and we go to one of the large halls about every other day for three weeks. At first, it was tiring even for those of us who are in shape. But we've all seemed to have gotten the hang of it, especially this past week. Our instructor, Glenora, has been extremely patient and kind. She was worried about Caspian and me in the beginning. We really are that terrible. And as promised, I get quite a few kisses for having hurt feet over the course of our lessons. She was relieved when we finally started to show some improvement. When we finally get a hang of it, it really isn't so bad, plus I get to see a lot more of Caspian and Molly.

Today, it's finally the last day of practice, and I think Caspian is more excited for these dancing lessons to end than I am. He's been in a wonderful mood all day. Molly came by earlier and picked out a dress for me because she had some free time. It's a little more formal than I would have worn normally, but it'll be good to practice in a longer dress. I walk with her down to the dance floor and I'm astonished at the change overnight. I look around the room, which is now beautifully decorated for the ball tomorrow evening. They added some large Christmas trees in each corner of the room, all decorated with a different color scheme. There are also numerous lit candles scattered everywhere, giving the room an ethereal glow. I wish the castle was like this all year-round.

We're the last to arrive, and everyone else is already gathered in the middle of the room. I walk up and wrap my arm around Caspian's waist, and he kisses my forehead. Now that we're all here, Glenora says a few words. "I want to thank each of you for your effort that you've shown in these lessons. You have all improved greatly. So this will be one last fun lesson, and I have no doubt that you will do me proud tomorrow."

With that, we disperse for a few minutes. Chatter from various conversations fill the room as everyone begins their various preparations, like putting on the proper shoes. Caspian pulls me off to the side so it's just the two of us. He presses a quick but meaningful kiss against my lips. "You look stunning, my love."

"Thanks. Molly picked the dress out for me. We actually kinda match," I say, realizing that he's a little more formal as well. "You look great too!"

"So are you excited for the end of our lessons?"

"Well, for the dancing, yes. Although we have gotten a lot better. But it's been fun to do with you. You're my favorite dancing partner," I say, pulling him into a hug.

He kisses my forehead again, then everyone starts gathering back in the middle of the room to get ready to start. He leads me out into the middle of the circle. I look over at the musicians. The band has grown by a few, and now includes a few more fiddles and a tambourine. I guess they really do want us to be ready for tomorrow by giving us an immersive experience. Apparently word has gotten out in the castle, too, because many of the council members and some of the servants and guards start to show up to watch what we can do. Caspian must detect the slight the slight nervousness on my face. "Don't worry about them. Just concentrate on us and the steps. You'll be fine." I nod. It's just a little nerve-wracking to have to dance in front of others. Until now, it's only been our small group, and there have never been bystanders watching. The music starts and I look into Caspian's eyes. He's practically glowing with happiness.

We get into formation and stand in our lines. I stand a few feet in front of Caspian, and we hold hands in the middle to start. We hear the instructor give our quick countdown and we begin the dance. We do a few spins and twirls, and then we join with another group of two. We all hold hands and spin in one large circle to the left, then do the same to the right. Then we drop hands and do-si-do around with our new partner. Next, we join our new partners and swing around them in a circle. This cycle continues as I make my way down the line. Several cycles farther down the line brings me to Molly's group. We make crazy faces at each other, and we laugh as we have a wonderful time. It's much less stressful now that we know all the steps. I even forget about everyone watching us. I just concentrate on what I'm doing and occasionally catch glimpses of Caspian, laughing and clearly having fun with his group. Eventually, Caspian and I make it back together. I'm swinging around with one partner, and I know to go to the side to spin into his arms next. Only, when I go, he disappears. For a split second, I'm confused, but then I notice someone is on the ground. I look down in front of me and Caspian is down on one knee, holding up an open jewelry box with a beautiful diamond ring, and he has the most perfect smile on his face. My right hand flies up on instinct to cover my mouth, and he reaches out to hold my left hand with his free hand.

"Anna Grace Zarria, I love you with all that I am, and you are the only one for me. Will you do me the honor of taking my hand in marriage?"

Tears are in both of our eyes, and we have matching radiant smiles. I vigorously nod my head, and then muster up as much sound as I can with my voice. "Yes! Yes!" He quickly stands and crashes his lips against my own—our first kiss as fiancés. I hear that the music has stopped and everyone has erupted into clapping, whistling, and cheering. If we were alone, I know that we would have kept going for a while, but we have to at least try to keep it chaste, so Caspian pulls away. My cheeks start to hurt I'm smiling so much. He takes the ring out of the box and he shimmies it down onto my ring finger. I couldn't have picked out a better ring myself. It's yellow gold and has a large oval diamond in the center, and then it's surrounded by smaller diamonds around the edge of that and onto half of the band.

I look into his eyes, soaking up the moment as much as I can. I see the same joy and excitement in his eyes that are in my own. "I helped design that for you. I know how you love diamonds. Do you like it?"

"I love it. It's perfect," I tell him, meaning every word. It's one of the most gorgeous rings that I've ever seen.

He presses his lips against mine again, until I feel someone pull me away. "Alright, alright. Don't accost her in public." Molly. She turns me around and pulls me into a tight hug. "Congratulations Anna!" She lets go of me then continues, "So were you surprised? Princey worked really hard to make it special. He thought of the whole thing!"

"I had absolutely no idea. It was perfect, every detail. Wait, so you knew?"

"Well, who else could have talked you into those dance lessons besides him? He wanted it to look like he didn't have anything to do with it. Besides, I helped decorate this place, and it looks great."

I laugh at her. "Yes, it does. And thank you for helping."

"No problem. Now go back to your _fiancé_," she says with a wink, then goes off to talk to someone else.

Caspian swoops back over to me as soon as she leaves and we stay hand in hand the rest of the time as we accept congratulations and well wishes from all that attended. I've never felt more special. The crowd dwindles pretty quickly after that, so we decide to go back to his study where it's cozy and warm. He closes the door behind us and we head straight for the chaise lounge which is just wide enough to fit two people. He sits down first then I sit next to him, curling down under one of his arms and wrapping both arms around him tightly. I partially lay my legs over his as we stretch them out in front of us.

"It's going to be hard to calm down after all of that."

He chuckles. "That was pretty exciting. So many people came. I'm just glad it stayed a secret. It's been hard for me to not say anything. I feel like I've been lying to you."

I sit up a little so I can see his eyes. "This is the only time where lying is ok."

He laughs again. "Alright. Deal."

We sit and enjoy the silence for a few moments. "Sooooo. Can we get married tomorrow?" I playfully ask.

"Ha! I wish, my love. But I might have a slightly different plan."

"And what is that?"

"Well, I want to bring you to Cair Paravel. It's almost finished and I want to show you around. So that will take almost two weeks to get there and back. We will need to plan the wedding as well. Thankfully since I won't be king, it won't be frowned upon for me to not invite some of the other royals from across Narnia. Which is good because we won't have to wait for anyone to arrive. Besides, everyone we care about is already here. So we could probably plan for a few days, then leave for Cair Paravel. Then we can have the wedding a few days after we return."

"So about three weeks then?"

"Yah. I think that will work. I wish it was tomorrow, but I think this will be best."

"Ugh. This is going to be the longest three weeks of our lives."

"Agreed." He surprises me when he slips from my grasp and turns me a little so I'm on my back, and he comes and leans partly over me. "So, fiancé, you had a good time tonight?"

"Yes, it was perfect. Everyone that I'm friends with was there. Did you plan that part too?"

"Yes, I did. I knew that you wouldn't want do dance in front of all those people, but it's the only way that I could get it to work because I wanted them to be there for the actual moment when I proposed. The Professor and Molly helped me out a lot to plan the whole thing. Then all I had to do was carry out the plan."

"Well, thank you for doing all that for me. I think I'll keep you," I say, and then pause for a second. "And when I'm your wife in a few weeks, I'll find a way to properly thank you."

He perks right up. "Now I really, really wish we were getting married tomorrow," he says. Then we spend the rest of the evening talking and dreaming of our future together.

* * *

A/N: They're engaged! Yay! And I'll try to keep updating quickly, although I'm starting to have a lot on my plate. I'll do my best. As always, thanks for reading! Feel free to review/drop a note :)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 11

The day after our engagement was the ball that was thrown for us. It was originally just for Caspian's coronation, but since I was now going to marry him within a month, it became a celebration for my imminent coronation as well. There were more people there than I've ever seen in one place at the same time. But even though it was crowded, we had an amazing time, and we got to showcase our new dancing skills for everyone to see. My apprehension towards being queen was somewhat alleviated when I saw the support of so many people. The day after the ball was left for preparation for our trip to Cair Paravel as well as a meeting with Dr. Cornelius and some of our head servants. It was decided that they will organize the wedding in our two week absence while we are on our journey. I'm a little nervous about leaving for such a long time, but I know that it will be in the best possible hands.

Today, we're on our fifth travel day and I know we are getting close to the new castle. Caspian and I are riding side by side with our guards on horseback behind us. Then, through the trees, we finally catch the first glimpse of white stone. My jaw instantaneously drops when I see it in full for the very first time when we emerge from the forest. As we pass over the main bridge to the rest of the castle, I'm still in awe of its majesty. It looks strikingly similar to the original, so it's almost like stepping into one of our childhood history books that we used to read.

"So, you like it?" Asks Caspian, who looks rather amused.

"It's incredible! It's even better than I imagined. I'm almost at a loss for words, it's that magnificent. I didn't think it would be done yet, but it looks finished."

"Well, I wanted to surprise you. It's complete on the outside, and it is mostly done on the inside. They are still working on a few of the rooms. I have one other big surprise for you too," he explains excitedly.

We get through the gate and enter into the main courtyard. Caspian leads our group over to the stable, and the guards finally part ways with us now that we are within the safety of the castle. Caspian and I then spend the morning exploring the main grounds. He has been here more than I have, but he still hasn't seen some of the areas that are now completed. The architecture is glorious. The majority of the structure is white stone and light colored marble. Windows are everywhere, so the entire castle is bright and filled with a yellow glow. Wide arches are prominent and make every space feel open and free. There are so many pillars strewn throughout and I love the wide grand staircases that are featured in several areas. Gold leafing is also intricately displayed in almost every room. It is truly spectacular.

But one of the most special rooms is our throne room. Caspian had our two thrones made to resemble the ones the Pevensies had, and they sit closely together up on a slight ledge. Almost the entire room is marble, and there are two huge crystal chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling. We sit down in our thrones and revel in the beauty all around us.

"There's one more room I need to show you," he announces, then stands and takes my hand, leading me out of the room. We walk a little ways and up some more beautiful stairs towards what must be the back of the castle. We finally arrive at two huge oak double doors at the end of a long hallway. He opens the doors and I walk in behind him to see one of the most beautiful bedrooms that I've ever seen. Like the rest of the castle, there is a lot of white and gold coloring; however, in this room, the floors are a beautiful medium tone wood, and there are elements of blue on the fabrics of the bed, curtains, and chairs.

"Is this your room that you designed? It's stunning!" I say.

Caspian comes in front of me and holds my hands in his, "In a way, my love. But it's actually our room. I know it's not exactly the one you helped design, but I figured we would want to live in the largest room, which would have been mine. So I had it made with the two of us in mind. I hope that's ok with you."

I squeeze his hands then pull him into a loving kiss. "This room is amazing Caspian. I absolutely love it. I can't believe it's ours!" I drop his hands and set out to explore it a little. It is situated towards the back of the castle towards the north so it gets sun at all times of the day. There is a balcony on both the north side and the east side so we will be able to see the sunrise and a lot of the sunset. The massive king sized bed is to the left of the balcony on the north side, and there's a door leading to the bathroom on that side too. The furniture is all white with gold accent designs, and the walls are similar white and gold panels. Dark yellow curtains hang down the sides from the balconies and the windows in the room. And we have matching wardrobes, plus I have a vanity with a mirror as well. As usual, I'm excited to see a large chaise lounge by a beautiful fireplace. As grand as the room is, I know it will feel like home sharing it with Caspian.

I go and lay down on the bed. I try to take up as much room as possible to test the size of the bed, but there would probably still be room for several more people. Caspian comes and lies down on the other side and faces me. We look at each other happily.

"We only have about two weeks until our wedding," I say.

His face lights up. "Only two more weeks and you are all mine. I can't wait to marry you. It'll be exactly like we are now, except we will probably see each other more. And there are other things that we will finally be able to do."

I smile, "Well, I think we are both looking forward to that."

He gets serious for a second. "Are you nervous?"

"Not really. I mean, maybe a little. But I trust you more than anyone, so I'm more excited than nervous."

"Good. And you know I'll do whatever I can to make you comfortable."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be in good hands," I say, winking at him, lightening the mood again. "But thank you."

"I'm just starting my husbandly duties, my love."

"Oh—that reminds me, where will we go on our honeymoon?"

"Well, we have a whole week. That's a long time, but we don't want to take too long traveling, so it has to be somewhat close to the Telmarine castle. Plus, it has to be safe. So, I do have one idea…how about the cottage by the lake where we went for our getaway that one day? We won't be able to swim because it'll be too cold, but it'll be cozy and warm. We'll have an entire week holed up in a small room together."

His idea is getting better and better. "I didn't really have a good idea, so that sounds perfect. But I'm not sure what we we'll do with ourselves being completely alone for an entire week," I say in an exaggerated tone.

He plays right along. He moves so he is right next to me on the bed and slowly pushes up my tunic, revealing my stomach. "I have a few ideas that I think you will like," he says. Then he starts kissing across my exposed belly. First, he moves softly, but then starts to lick and nibble some of my skin. I try not to squirm because I don't want him to stop. But after a few moments, he does pull away so we don't get too carried away. He pulls my shirt back down then moves up and presses a few passionate kisses against my waiting lips. I run my fingers through his thick, soft hair. "How did I get so lucky? I have everything. Although _you_ are the best thing that I'm getting out of this whole deal," I tell him.

He presses a kiss against my forehead. "I'm the lucky one, my love."

* * *

We arrive back at the Telmarine castle about a week later right on schedule, which is good because both Caspian and I are immediately whisked away to the Professor's study to go over the wedding details. Overall, it sounds like everything has been going smoothly in our absence; however, now that we are back, we have to essentially be available for input all day. It doesn't bother me, because it's mostly just giving my opinion and of course it's my wedding so I want it to turn out like I envisioned, but it does make for many long days for both Caspian and I. There was one day where we hardly even saw each other. I had to pick out a wedding dress then get it fitted. Then Caspian got fitted later in the day after me. I wish we could have spent that time together, but I didn't want him to see my dress and I didn't really want to see his tuxedo early either.

Earlier today was fun, though. It's Christmas Eve, so there's an added buzz and excitement around the castle as people prepare to spend time with their families. It's now just three days before the wedding and we went to the kitchens to choose a cake. Ty had stayed up with some of her decorators and bakers all night to have several options ready to show us. Then we all got to sit around and try the different flavors. It was a fun morning.

After a light lunch after the tasting, I grab his hand and quickly lead him away to our rooms.

I know Caspian has been stressed with preparing for both the coronation and the wedding now that we are just three days away from the wedding ceremony. So, I tell him my idea. "We've both been stressed and busy, so I reserved some time on the indoor practice room—just the two of us. We can go take our minds off things for a little while."

"Really? I've wanted to get out there. Let's get changed then I'll come back and meet you outside your room."

We both change into tunics, pants, and boots then we make our way down to the training room. We're the only ones here, as requested. I think both of us are just excited to be alone together doing something we both love. Swordplay always allows us to let go of everything else and get lost in the moment. You forget everything and focus on each individual move and try to attune to your instinct. Before we collect our equipment, I take a few minutes to tightly French braid my hair so it stays out of the way. Caspian leans on a fence nearby and watches as my fingers expertly braid down the back of my head.

"I love your hair. I've always thought that, but I never said it because I thought it would be strange to say to you."

I finish the braid and tie it off at the end, then I walk up to him and kiss him hard and trap him against the fence. I put my leg up on the fence beside him and press up as close as I can to his body. Our arms are wrapped around each other and we lose ourselves to a different type of instinct. Then suddenly, I pull back and walk to start collecting my equipment.

"Come on. We came here to practice swordplay, right?" I say teasingly.

He walks over to me. "Well we can practice other things too, if you want," he says, snaking an arm around my stomach and holds me close.

I play coy and slip out of his grasp. "Come on Princey…come and get me on the field."

We grab our dull training swords and go onto the field. We are actually a fairly decent match in swordplay, although Caspian still almost always wins because he's so fast. He's also more cunning, while I'm a little too calculated sometimes. For the first half an hour, we legitimately practice pretty hard. We go full speed and pour our hearts into every move. Caspian is supportive and helpful, offering wonderful suggestions when necessary. I know I wouldn't be anywhere near the swordsman I am today without his guidance throughout the years.

The next half an hour is nowhere near as productive as the first. Caspian loses his shirt because of the heat in the room, and then I start getting too easily distracted. He plays it up, too, by sneaking little touches and grabs whenever he can as we continue to practice. I'm finally so wound up that I can barely take it anymore. He wins another round by pretending to stick me in the side with his sword. I grab his free hand and drag him to one of the back corners by the equipment. That way, if someone walks in, they wouldn't see us first thing. I do something completely unexpected when I pull off my shirt. It's cumbersome and hot, and I just want to feel his skin against my own. I still have a bra on, but it's the most Caspian has ever seen of me. I probably shouldn't have done that, but with only three days to the wedding, I no longer care. He looks a little shocked, but in a good way. I step closer and wrap my arms around his neck, and then we attack each other's lips fervently. Having Caspian's chest pressed against my own is one of the best things I've ever felt. Our hands roam each other's exposed skin and I love feeling his back and strong shoulders. I get chills when his hands grasp my sides and lower back. I feel a little exposed, but I'm not embarrassed to be so unclothed in front of him. Besides, it's going to be even more intense in all the best ways in a few days. We get out of breath and I keep my eyes closed in bliss as he kisses my cheek and then makes his way down my neck, sucking a few spots vigorously. I love the things he does to me, and my body always responds so quickly to his.

Somehow, he has enough restraint to finally pull away. He puts his hands on my waist and looks down, admiring my stomach and chest one last time.

"That was amazing, but this is torture," he admits.

"I know. Just three more days."

He throws his head back in frustration. "This will be the longest three days of my entire life."

"Hey, at least we'll be busy. Maybe we'll be so distracted that we won't notice," I say. He looks at me like I'm crazy. "Okay. You're right. Not a chance." I go and pick up my shirt off the ground. Caspian admires the view until the last second when I'm covered again. He groans then goes and puts his shirt back on too.

"So what else are we doing today?"

"I promised Molly and the Professor that we would join them for dinner this evening since its Christmas Eve. So we need to go get ready and meet them in the kitchens in about two hours."

Caspian walks me up to my room, and we part ways to go get ready. It feels so good to take a bath to get all the sweat from practice off. I can't believe it's only three days to the ceremony. I've been pleasantly surprised at how everything has been coming together. Being future queen has its perks, especially when it comes to wedding planning. Plus, we have the support of our friends who are like our family, which has given us some freedom and has made this quick engagement possible.

When it's time for dinner, Caspian and I make our way down to the kitchens. We sit down to a wonderful meal by Ty, and we even make her join us. Molly and Dr. Cornelius are also there, as well as a few other servants that we consider close friends. Even though it's been a hectic couple of weeks for them while we've been gone, they are all cheerful and excited about the wedding in just a few short days. The ceremony will be in the square, on the platform in front of the tree where the Pevensies left. It's the perfect spot so that most of the people from the kingdom will be able to attend. The spot by the tree is also a symbol in the land now of new beginnings, which also aligns with the sentiments of our wedding. Molly will be leading a crew to begin decorations there tomorrow.

We finish up our dinner, but no one gets up to leave. There is nothing left to be done this evening, so it's a nice breather for all that have been involved. I look around the table as various conversations are happening around me. Yes, we are all together now to work on the union of Caspian and me, but our family will be more than just the two of us. These people—Dr. Cornelius, Molly, Ty, and even Glenstorm—are our extended family, and we will keep them with us as long as they are willing to stay. I am so fortunate that they will all be there to support Caspian and me when we become husband and wife.

Molly's voice draws me from my thoughts. "Alright, Princey. Spill."

"Spill what?"

"When did you know that you loved her? As more than a friend, I mean."

I look at him, interested in the answer myself. "Yah, you've never told me that!"

He looks down, slightly embarrassed. Just when I think he's going to refuse to answer, he speaks up. "Well, it was a few months into your relationship with Stephen," he says to me, but the others were listening too. "He was away on a short trip as acting ambassador. You were sad he was gone, so I wanted to distract you. We ended up taking that day trip to one of the nearby rivers, and we had the best time together. It was the first time we had spent the whole day just the two of us since you started courting him, so I think that's why it was more special than usual to me. I just remember seeing you so happy at the idea of his return the next day. I realized that I wanted to be the one you were excited about seeing."

I remember exactly what he was talking about. We did have a lot of fun that day. "I remember that day, only I had no idea what you were really thinking. Now I feel bad. All those months I was with him…"

Caspian cups my cheek with his hand, sending chills down my spine. "Don't feel bad. It all worked out the way it was supposed to."

"That's right, my friends," says Molly. "You were meant to be together. I've been saying it behind your backs for a long time now."

"Why does that not surprise me?" I ask rhetorically. "But seriously, thank you all for your support and all the work that you've been putting in these past few weeks. Caspian and I appreciate it so much. And more than anything, we are glad that each one of you will be there on the big day. You are our family, and it wouldn't be the same without you."

With that, I get up and hug everyone, as grateful for their presence as always. We spend the rest of the evening together as a group celebrating Christmas together since the next few days are going to be the busiest. We trade gifts and tell stories late into the evening. Caspian even plays some music on the piano. That night, I go to sleep so very thankful for how my life could have turned out if I hadn't been allowed to grow up in the castle.

* * *

A/N: It's almost wedding time! Yay! I've started a little of the next chapter, which will be the wedding. There should also *finally* be a nice lemon at the end too. Consider yourself warned :)


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: The big day is finally here! And as I mentioned at the end of the last chapter, there is a lemon at the end of this chapter. So I say again—you've been warned. As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 12

I wake up the morning of my wedding and a huge smile spreads over my face because I know this will be one of the best days of my life. It took me a while to fall asleep last night, but I got to sleep in this morning so I'm actually fairly well rested. The ceremony isn't until sundown this evening. We chose that time because it's a beautiful time of day, and that leaves more time this morning for everything to be set up. Plus, that leaves time for a fairly long reception afterwards, and there will still be time for other activities that Caspian and I are very much looking forward to.

I lay comfortably in bed thinking about the day for about thirty minutes until there's a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

"You're favorite Molly!"

"Come in," I answer.

She bursts in the door with my breakfast on a tray and she sets it on my bed. "Oh my gosh, Anna. You're getting married today!" She says excitedly. "So how do you feel?"

"A little nervous about the ceremony, but I'm more excited than anything. I can't believe it's finally today."

"I know! I'm so happy for you! And just so you know, everything is under control. It is all set up and looks fabulous."

"Yah?"

"Yes, my friend. And I picked up your dress yesterday and made sure it is in perfect shape. I'll bring it by when I'm done here. But really, you'll have a pretty easy day. You'll have to spend a lot of it in here so you won't accidentally run into Caspian, but I'll bring you anything you need. And of course I'll help you get ready."

The rest of the morning and early afternoon goes just like she describes, and I don't get too stir crazy thanks to her. I try on my dress when she brings it, and it fits perfectly. The dress is white and covered in lace, reaching all the way down to the ground. The sleeves are long sheer lace and the dress has a little v-neckline. And it's fairly fitted, so it shows my curves. When I first tried it on, I didn't think at first glance that it would be the one for me. But once I saw my reflection in the mirror, I knew this was the perfect dress. It is simple but regal and makes me feel beautiful.

Molly brought some board games to help pass the time, although we spent a lot of the time talking and reminiscing about our childhood. Even though she's a servant, we've always had a special bond, and she has been like a sister to me all along. Then when it gets to be mid-afternoon, it's finally time to start getting ready. I take a bath but leave my hair dry. Molly comes and pins a little of it back so it won't be in my face all night. I put my dress back on, and I'm again happy with the reflection in the mirror now that I'm all ready.

Molly leaves me for a few minutes so she can get ready. She comes back looking beautiful in her powder pink dress, and it's finally time to make our way down to the room I will wait in by the courtyard until the ceremony. We have guards walk with us as we wind down back streets to the area of the courtyard. I get wonderful comments from the villagers we pass along the way as they remark on my dress and the wedding. We finally get to the house where I will wait, and I go take a quick look into the courtyard which is out the back of the house. I'm absolutely stunned at what I see. Because it is December and still cold outside, they erected the largest tent that I have ever seen over the entire courtyard. There are a few large contained fires to keep it warm inside. The smell of roses overtakes me, and I see thousands of flowers dispersed throughout the room in various arrangements. The most concentrated decorations are up on the stage. They've rolled out a carpet to create a center aisle which I will walk down. I don't want to be seen by many more people, so I go back inside and shut the door.

I go straight to Molly and pull her into a tight hug. "It's exactly what I wanted. It's beautiful. Thank you."

She squeezes back. "I'm glad you like it."

Dr. Cornelius enters through the main door and pulls me into a hug next. "My dear Anna, you are a beautiful bride."

"Thank you Professor. And thank you for walking me down the aisle."

"It is a privilege to do so, my dear."

"Have you seen Caspian today?" I ask him.

"I spent a few hours with him this morning. He's just as excited as you are."

We begin to hear more chatter outside as it gets closer to the start of the ceremony. The room gets filled quickly with Narnians and Telmarines alike, all gathered to see the wedding of their future king and queen. I get jittery when I get nervous, so I start pacing. I don't really like to be in front of large groups of people, but I don't really have a choice. Besides, there's no way that I'm not getting married today. My heart starts beating quicker when we hear the violins start to play the music, indicating that it's almost time to go. Molly goes first and will stand on my side up on the platform. I smile to myself, knowing that Caspian is already up there waiting for me. It's finally my turn, so I hold on to the Professor's arm with one hand and grasp my flowers tightly in the other. As soon as the doors open, we are greeted with smiling, joyous faces of the crowd. We have to go straight for quite a few steps and then we turn to the right down the main aisle. When we turn the corner, I see my Prince. He has the most perfect smile on his face, and I can't help but mirror it onto my own. I'm glad Dr. Cornelius was walking with me, or else I might just lose myself in Caspian's gaze. He looks amazing in his fitted tuxedo. We're quite the pair.

The ceremony continues beautifully. Aslan speaks as Caspian and I hold hands and look into each other's eyes as we make promises for a lifetime to each other. The room disappears and for a few moments, I feel like it's just me and Caspian. We exchange rings, and then it's finally time to have our first kiss as husband and wife. Caspian leans down and presses his soft lips against my own as the crowd cheers vigorously below us. It's a great start to a beautiful marriage.

The wedding party walks back to the house where I waited, and we meet up again with a large group of guards. They escort us to the largest of our dining halls where the reception will take place. This will be a much smaller group, reserved only for those we actually know and some other acquaintances and dignitaries that were necessary to invite. The room is decorated just as intricately to match the tent in the courtyard, only there are tables with grand centerpieces and a large clearing for dancing in the middle of the room. Caspian and I are at a table with our closest friends, and we all enjoy a wonderful feast for dinner. Then the band is brought in and we dance for the greater part of the evening.

The guests finally begin to filter out by ten o'clock, although Caspian keeps getting caught in conversations, as everyone wants to talk to the future king on his wedding day. It's understandable, but Caspian and I have other plans. I decide to sit and wait by one of the large fountains situated close to the exit, and I drag Molly along so that I look busy and no one tries to talk to me. She does a good job trying to distract me, but I can barely tear my eyes away from my _husband_. My face lights up just thinking that we are finally married.

"I don't even want to know what you're thinking about," said Molly. "He's not just a piece of meat, you know."

I look at her and we burst out laughing. "Thanks for that wonderful observation. But as husband and wife, we do have certain things that we can…"

"NOPE! Not listening!" says Molly, covering both of her ears. I teasingly roll my eyes at her and look back to where Caspian had been, but he isn't standing there anymore. Suddenly, someone sits next to me, rather close I might add. I'm startled at first, but I turn to see that it's just Caspian. He puts his arm around me, and asks, "What's going on with Molly?"

I reply, "Trust me, you don't want to know."

He then leans in closer to my ear, quietly saying, "I think we can finally get out of here."

I look into his eyes and see the same eager excitement and expectation. I slowly nod my head in agreement, and I wink at Molly as we walk past her. Tonight, since it is already late, we decided to stay in his new master bedroom-that had been Miraz's-before leaving for our honeymoon tomorrow. He opens the door for us, and picks me up bridal style to carry me across the threshold. I have only seen this room one other time before it became his. It's very romantic, with lots of candle light to help set the mood. The bed is a massive four poster made of dark oak. He places me on the ground and I immediately walk up to one side of the bed, placing my hand on one of the posts. I look around for my bag that Molly was supposed to have put in here for me earlier. I see it sitting on the desk, which is off to one side of the room. Caspian continues to just watch me. I have to walk past him to get to my bag, so I place a heated kiss on his lips in passing.

"Why don't you go freshen up first, then I'll go after you." I suggest.

"I'll be quick," he replies, winking as he backs up towards the bathroom.

This gives me the opportunity to check my bag. Everything is in here. I just need to wash the makeup off my face and take a quick bath, since it has been a long day. My hair is already mostly down, so I'll leave that alone. Caspian is done in about ten minutes, and he re-emerges shirtless, wearing only the shorts he uses to sleep in. I try not to stare, although tonight I'll finally be able to appreciate all of him. He walks up to me, clearly happy with the effect he is having on me. He gives me a deep kiss, then tilts my head back a little to give him access to my neck. He starts a trail of kisses down the side of my neck, and then pulls back and whispers, "Don't make me wait too long." I hope he isn't going to tease me like this all night…

I go into the bathroom and get ready in almost record time. When I'm out of the bath, I put on some white sheer lingerie. The bottoms are lace boyshort panties that are cut a little higher than usual in the back to show off more of my ass. The top is spaghetti strap, with a little thicker lace across my boobs. That way, I'm at least a little hidden at first. Around the stomach and back of the top is completely sheer material, and it extends down to right below my hips. Caspian is going to get a nice view pretty quick. I take one last look in the mirror. I've never considered myself to be sexy, but I definitely feel sexy right now. I slowly open the door and peak around the corner so he can't quite see me yet. He's lying back on the bed, but props himself up on his elbows to look over at me when he hears me open the door.

"Are you ready for me?" I asked.

"Oh, we've waited long enough." With that, he sits up and scoots so he is sitting up with his legs hanging off the bed, directly facing me.

I keep my eyes on him the whole time as I walk out in front of him, just a few feet from the bed. I fight the instinct to cover myself, even though it feels so foreign to be standing in front of someone with so little on. He slowly looks me up and down, and it's clear that he likes what he sees. I then turn so he can see the back of me, and I look over my shoulder I can see his reaction. He bites down on his bottom lip as he admires me. I turn back around to face him, and he gets up off the bed to come to me. He wraps his arms around me, whispering, "I love you." Then, putting a finger under my chin, he tilts my head up so he can kiss me. It doesn't take my body long to respond to him, especially as our hands started to roam to places that we haven't allowed the other person to touch before. His hands wander down my back to my butt and he gently squeezes the flesh. My hands explore his muscular chest and back and I grasp for him to be as close to me as possible. We break apart for a second, so he can back me up against the bed. I lay myself back and part my legs and he crawls up on top of me between them. He places a few more passionate kisses on my lips before moving down lower. He puts his hands on my sides, slightly under the material of my top. He slowly starts to push the fabric up my body, making sure to caress my sensitive skin and place a trail of kisses up my stomach. I just lay there in pure bliss, my heart feeling like it was going to explode with the love I feel for this man. He kisses up until he is just under my breasts, then he stops to send me a questioning look. I sit up a little and nod for him to continue, so he continues by lifting the rest of my top off and throwing it to the floor. I thought I'd feel nervous, being even partially naked, but the way he looks at me only encourages me more. He touches my breasts gently, then wastes no time bringing one of my sensitive nipples into his mouth. I let out a moan that I didn't even know I was holding in. He moves to the other side of my chest, sucking and swirling his tongue around the peak. I can't control my hips as they bucked forward in response. I feel the familiar anticipatory ache of my pussy that always happens when things get heated. He leaves my breasts for a moment, and grazes my body with his lips down the front of my body. He's moving a little faster now, and hooks his fingers around the top of my panties. I elevate my hips so he can pull them all the way off. He looks at me, now fully exposed, with awe written all over his face.

"You're so beautiful…"

Then he comes back down, kissing me again. I gasp when I feel a few of his fingers slowly slide over my clit. He knows I am ready because he feels how wet I am at my entrance. I push him up so he's sitting back on his knees. I start kissing all over his lips, neck, and chest, pausing to tease his nipples as well. Then I pull his shorts down, and he quickly lies to the side to take them off completely. He smiles at me as I admire him for the first time. He is big, just the perfect size. I'm aware that our first time will be a little painful for me, but I know he will be as gentle as he can be. I'm a little nervous, but I take him into my hand for the first time, loving the feel of his hard cock. Even though his eyes close in bliss, he doesn't let me continue for long. He gently grabs my wrist. "That feels amazing, but I want to last for our first time," he tells me quietly. Then he lies back down on top of me. This is now the closest we have ever been. Finally, we have no barriers whatsoever between us. In this moment, I know that nothing will ever feel as good as his skin against mine, and I will forever crave this closeness and unique bond with him. He kisses all over my face, then asks, "Are you ready?"

Without hesitation, I quickly nod my head up and down.

"I'll go as slow as you need me to, alright?"

"Ok."

He then reaches down to help guide himself though my entrance. I knew that I would be pretty tight, since I'm a virgin. Well, technically not anymore. It is extremely uncomfortable at first as he slowly pushes into me. I'm pretty sure my hymen had torn a while back, because I was so active as a kid, and there was not really any barrier that he has to push through. But for a moment, it does feel like he's not going to fit, and I can't hide all the discomfort on my face.

He stops moving altogether. "Are you alright? Do you want me to stop?" Caspian asks softly.

"No, don't stop" I reply. I put my hands on his lower back, encouraging him forward. He finally slides all the way in close to the base of his cock, and then he just rests there, letting me relax a little more. I can tell that it is taking a lot of restraint for him to not move. I wrap one hand around his neck, bringing him down for another deep kiss, feeling so loved and so safe here in his arms.

"I'm ready," I say, so he slowly starts to move. At first, It's slightly uncomfortable, but the amount of pleasure I feel is always more overpowering than any pain. He feels absolutely amazing, and I feel so wonderfully full of him. It's amazing how instinctual making love is. This is my first time, but I move and react to Caspian's movements, and I can feel my orgasm start to slowly build. My walls start to constrict here and there on their own as I try to hold my orgasm as long as I can. But the way Caspian is extending so deep inside me and pressing into my clit with every thrust makes it nearly impossible to hold it back. One last deep thrust and I climax hard, breathing heavily and letting out an uncontrollable whimper. "Ohhh…" is all Caspian can say in response. As my orgasm slowly dissipates, his is getting closer. He starts to really pick up his pace until he lets out a little yell of his own, erratically pushing his cock deeper into me as he climaxes and spills his cum into me. Not pulling out of me just yet, he lays completely flat on me. He rests his head on my shoulder so he can still look up at my face. It is perfection just lying there, holding each other tight. I rub my hand up and down his back, and have my other tangled in his hair. After a couple minutes, he gets soft, so he readjusts and pulls out of me. Then he moves over to next to me, and I turn to face him. It's nice to just lay there and look at each other, reveling in the moment.

"You still ok?" He asks, putting his hand on my abdomen.

"Yes. That was perfect."

"You don't regret marrying me yet?"

"I'll never regret that, my darling. Especially after what we just did. We're like old pro's, our first time out."

"We're pretty great together, huh?"

"You better believe it, love," I say, pulling his head down for a kiss.

We make love to each other slowly two more times before succumbing to sleep on our perfect wedding day.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now just wait until the next…it may even have more than one lemon (hint, hint) I'm biased, but they're really good ones ;) Oh, and I have to finally say that there will only be a few more chapters. Sad, I know. It's been a blast writing this one. And it's my first, so it's like my baby. Just know that I greatly appreciate you lovely readers!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Ok, so there are several lemons in this chapter. It's actually easier to write them than I would have thought. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing lol! Anyway, our lovebirds are on their honeymoon, what do you expect? ;)

CHAPTER 13

I think it's about mid-morning by the time I finally wake up. Looking over at Caspian, I can only think of how jealous other women would be if they realized what they are missing. I have another strange thought that I can't believe that there were so many years where I didn't see him as even a little sexually attractive. Here he is now, my husband, sleeping on his back. He has the best looking sex hair, splayed in slight disarray over the pillow under his head. And his arms are lying off to his sides, with the blanket just resting just below his hips. All I want to do is run my fingers along the indentations by his pelvis or along the perfect trail of hair below his belly button. But first, I have to pee like I always do when I first wake up. So annoying. I quietly get up and take care of business, then crawl slowly back into bed. It's hard to choose where I want to start first to give him an unforgettable wakeup. I start by straddling him low enough that my face is level with his belly button. I begin a slow path of kisses and licks up the middle of his toned stomach. He starts to stir, but I look at his face and he's still not awake yet. I move my ministrations to one of his nipples, alternating from swirling my tongue around it to gently sucking the peak. Then when I move to the other nipple, his breathing picks up a bit. I look up at him again, and his eyes are finally open and already filled with lust. Mission accomplished. I continue my kisses up his chest until I reach his neck. I suck on a few spots there, just stopping to purr "good morning" into his ear. With that, he threads both of his hands into my hair on the back of my head and our mouths attack each other fervently. Most of last night, we were slow and sensual, with the natural hesitation that comes with a couple's very first time together. Today is the opposite, each of us filled with passionate need. He sits up, with me still straddling his waist. Not breaking our kisses, I reach down and push the remaining covers off of him so we were now both fully exposed. This plan is working out quite well. I break the kiss to look down, thankful to find that he is already hard, so I line myself over him and slowly slide down onto his cock.

He lets out a guttural moan. "Oh my god. You're so wet."

It's true. I don't think I've ever been this wet before, and my pussy is aching and throbbing. I start to grind my hips, and he moves his hands down to my hips to help me with the rhythm. It doesn't even take me that long to feel my orgasm building. This position feels amazing, and allows me to make sure he hits all the right spots inside me. Every stroke gets me closer and closer.

"You feel so good," I say to him. I try to hold off my orgasm longer, but my walls start to get tighter on their own accord. He whimpers, "Holy shit." I can only moan in response. He pulls my head back down to his and he kisses me hard. I'm starting to get a little tired, and can't quite keep up the pace that we both need. He expertly flips us over without pulling us apart, which momentarily delays my orgasm, but not for long. I wrap my legs tight around him, and with a few deep thrusts, I'm close again. I grasp onto his back with my hands, kneading the flesh with my fingers. I look into his eyes. "I'm close, baby."

"Unh. Me too. Wait for me."

"Come with me."

My walls start to tighten again. This time I can't hold it off anymore. The most amazing orgasm I've ever experienced completely overtakes my body with wave after wave of pleasure. Then Caspian moans loudly, his orgasm filling me with cum as my walls constrict around him. We lie like that kissing for about a minute while my orgasm continues to slowly dissipate, then he pulls out of me. I continue laying on my back, while Caspian moves to lay propped up right next to me. He puts his free hand along my jaw line, his thumb slowly stroking the soft skin on my cheek as we revel in our completely blissful morning.

"As prince-almost-king, I demand that you wake me up like that every day."

I laugh then bite down on my lip, "That was a pretty good idea, huh?"

"Probably your best idea since we've been married."

"Mmmm. And this is only the second day, my love. This is just the start of many great ideas," I say seductively.

He raises an eyebrow, "Oh really, my queen? And do you have any more for us today?"

Staring straight into his eyes, I grab the hand that was stroking my cheek. Not breaking eye contact, I take his thumb into my mouth, sucking all the way down to its base. Slowly gliding it back out of my mouth, I respond, "I guess you'll have to find out…"

* * *

We finally get out of bed, but it takes us a while because the freedom to make love whenever we want is especially liberating and exciting…and tempting. We are both really grimy with sweat so we take a bath together. But that just ends with me back on top of him, both of us moaning and saying each other's names. We might not ever get out of this room.

It's not just about the amazing sex, though. I'm thankful for so much time with him. For so many months, I've wanted nothing but free time with him, and now that I finally have it, I love every single second. I know this week will allow us to be more connected than we have ever been, and not just physically, but emotionally. We can't wait to get somewhere and really let loose.

We finally get ready without attacking each other again, so we go to the kitchen to eat breakfast and then go down to the stables. Our bags were already brought down by some of our servants. We have to take two horses this time because of the week's provisions that we need. The familiar journey to the cottage is cold, but beautiful with some snow still scattered in mounds on the ground. When we get to the cottage, I see a new building off to its side.

"What's that?"

"Oh—I had a small stable built for the horses. It's good to have one anyway, but I knew we'd be coming here, so I had it built to keep the horses warm while we're here."

We dismount and carry our bags inside. Then Caspian goes back outside to take care of the horses for the night. I take off some of my layers and my shoes and start a fire. I leave on my long, thin cotton dress, but also quickly take off my underwear. This will be fun. I back up and slide up onto the slick wooden table. I turn to look at him when he comes inside. He takes off his outer layers too, only he continues further and takes off his shirt, looking at me suggestively. Apparently we have very similar ideas. My smile widens as he leans down and takes of his boots, his eyes never leaving mine. Then he stands and slowly makes his way over to me. I widen my legs as much as I can since I'm wearing a long dress. Thankfully, it's enough that he can stand between them. He puts his hands on my butt and scoots me closer to the edge. I sit up and press my body against his and put my face against the side of his. "I don't have any underwear on," I say lowly and seductively in his ear.

I thought he would attack me, but he's in a more teasing mood. He slowly steps back and I watch as he reaches down and puts his hands around my calves where the bottom of my dress hits. He moves at an agonizing pace, squeezing various spots of my legs while simultaneously bringing the material up. By the time my dress is up by my thighs, my breathing starts to get erratic because I'm so turned on. He knows it too and smirks up at me. I scoot back a little so my butt is just back from the edge of the table, and I lie back and put my legs up on the table so the heels of my feet are propped against the edge. I pull up the dress so it's pooled around my waist. I'm not sure why, but it feels erotic to be covered on top but completely exposed to him on bottom. He stands between my legs and runs his hands up and down the outsides of my legs, looking at my pussy.

"I want to taste you," he says, looking at me for approval. Just those words make me more wet. I nod.

He first starts kissing by my knee on one of my legs, then continues his torturously slow track further down. I gasp when he licks and sucks on some of the skin of my upper thigh. Then nothing could prepare me for the feeling of his tongue licking up my entrance, bottom to top. His tongue feels amazing as he licks up my juices and swirls it around my clit. As he does that, I feel a few of his fingers enter me, pushing slowly in and out. I look down and watch him move his mouth over me. I reach down and thread my fingers though his hair. But as incredible as it feels, I don't think I'll climax this way because I'm a little too tense. I tug gently on his hair, "I want you inside me." He immediately stops, but places one last kiss on my clit. He pulls out his fingers and watches me intently as he sticks them all inside his mouth, licking them clean. I quickly sit up and remove the rest of my dress from my body while he takes off his pants so we're both naked again. I scoot back to the edge of the table so my butt is right on the edge. I'm not really sure what to do with my legs, but he steps in between them and helps me put them over his shoulders. I place my dress under my head so I can enjoy the view of him a little better. My toes curl as he takes his extremely hard cock and rubs it several times over my clit, refusing to enter me. I try to control my breathing, but his teasing is almost too much to bear. My hands clamp down on the sides of the table, trying to steady myself. I whimper and look at him pleadingly, so he finally slowly pushes into me. My body accommodates him immediately, and I start to get some relief from the dull ache of want. He continues a slow rhythm while he nuzzles and kisses my leg and reaches to caress my breasts and stomach with one of his hands. He's still torturously slow, but it turns me on even more when he takes control. One of his hands goes down and he rubs his thumb against my clit.

"I love you," he says, then again, only the sounds of our lovemaking are heard in the cabin.

I think we both need to change positions, so I sit up and move my legs back down. He pulls out of me so I can sit up all the way. I pull him close and I kiss him, tasting the last remnants of my saltiness on his mouth. I know we don't want to stop for long so I hop down off the table and he just watches for my next move. I turn towards the table and look at him over my shoulder as I bend over the table so he has access to me from behind. I can see that he's pleasantly surprised about the idea, and so am I. He quickly re-enters me and this new position opens up even more sensations. I love the feeling of his hands on my waist. Then he rubs me lovingly with one hand on my back. I'm building to climax faster now, because he's hitting me deep and he presses into my clit every time he thrusts. My walls start to constrict a little, so I know I'm getting close. He starts picking up his speed and pounds into me. I'm getting really close, and I start to lose control, so my walls start to steadily squeeze around him and he has to work harder to push into me because I'm so tight.

"Oh Anna…"

I finally lose control completely, and I cry out as my orgasm hits me with wave after wave of euphoria. He cries out as he climaxes too, and I feel his hands grasp my waist even harder. We're now nothing but a panting, sweating pair. I'm ok with that. When he's done, he pulls out of me then reaches down to grab his underwear. He reaches between my legs with the cloth to clean me up. Even after what we just did, the gesture seems so intimate and loving. He throws his underwear back on the floor then wraps his arms around me, kissing me passionately.

We lounge around and nap the rest of the day, then we replenish our bodies with a good dinner. Then he makes love to me one more time on the bed before we finally fall asleep, exhausted.

* * *

The next few days are just as special. Mealtimes are especially fun, as both Caspian and I are lacking in cooking skills because of our reliance on Ty and her crew when we're at home. One day, we wanted to get out of the house for a bit, so we bundled up and took our horses for a few laps around the frozen lake. Although cold, it is absolutely beautiful outside. The sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky. The ice on the tree branches is starting to melt, and the patter of the dropping water onto the snow below is one of the only sounds I can hear. The occasional gust of chilly wind whips over my cheeks, making them sting. I'm willing to face the discomfort of the cold because I have a wonderful husband to help warm me up when we get back inside.

Today is our last full day at the cottage. We were lazy as usual this morning, and we've been lounging on the couch reading books this afternoon. We're sitting on opposite ends of the couch, each leaning back on one of the arms, and our legs are lined up side by side in the middle of the couch. I find myself unable to stop from glancing up at Caspian. His hair is getting pretty long, so it falls partly into his face. And his eyebrows are furrowed in the way that I love when he's concentrating. I finally can't take it anymore. I drop my book to the floor and stare at him. He looks up when he hears the book drop and he looks at me expectantly, unsure of what I'm going to do. Without breaking eye contact with his beautiful dark brown eyes, I squirm and maneuver my dress up my legs and up over my head. This leaves me topless in just my panties. He tosses his book to the floor and he looks happily over my body. I can see that he's already starting to get hard. I stand up and walk over to him.

"Sit in the middle of the couch, please," I request.

He scoots over to where I want him to be, and then I step in close to him and help him remove his shirt. I decide to leave his shorts on a little longer. He puts his arms around my legs, helping me as I straddle him. I bring my lips down on his passionately as we kiss and explore each other's mouths. His hands wander down my back and butt, while mine grasp his hair and his shoulders. We can't help but grind each other through what little clothes we have left on. Even though there are barriers between us, I love the feeling of him rubbing against me through my panties. After a few minutes, I get off him. He starts to get up to follow me, but I put my hand on his chest and push him back down. I stand about a foot in front of him and turn away from him so he can only see my back. Then, as slowly as I can, I remove my panties inch by inch. When they're finally off, I turn around and I can tell that he wants me bad. It's an empowering feeling. I bend down and help him take his shorts off, revealing his hard, erect member. I see the surprise and glimmer of excitement in his eyes when I kneel down in front of him between his legs. I take him in one of my hands and very slowly stroke him, which makes him whimper. I lean forward and kiss and lick down his stomach, teasing him more. I know I'm driving him crazy because he tries to thrust his hips to get more friction. I take him completely off guard when I let go of his cock with my hand, and then lean my head closely over his tip. I lick around the rim, and then take him into my mouth for the first time. I look up at him and see him throw his head back on the couch, and he instantaneously starts breathing heavier. He's big and long, so I can't quite get all of him in my mouth, so I put one of my hands back on the base of his cock and stroke him. I lick one side of him, base to tip then sink my mouth back onto him, bobbing my head up and down. I continue to lick, suck, and stroke him, and it doesn't take very long before I know he's getting close to climax. He starts to moan and move his hips a little more. I have my mouth completely on him and one hand is on the base of his cock and I bring up my other hand to massage his balls. I then feel him twitch and I keep him in my mouth while he yells out and spills his load into my mouth and I suck him dry. He tastes different than I expected-primarily salty-so I don't have a problem swallowing it.

I get up, standing from my kneeling position. He gets up quickly and pulls me into his embrace. He grasps my chin and makes it so our faces are mere inches from each other.

"That was incredible. Are you sure you've never done that before?"

I laugh then playfully punch his chest. "Absolutely sure. I was saving that just for you."

"Well, I certainly picked the right wife," he says. I lean in and kiss his chest. He continues, "I want you to stay naked forever."

I laugh again. "I don't think that's possible my love. Besides, we'll be king and queen soon. If we were naked all the time, we'd just be having sex all the time and wouldn't get anything done."

"And this is a problem why?"

Boys. I press a kiss to his lips this time. "I love you."

"I love you too," he says in return.

We spend the rest of the day just like we have every previous day this week: being consumed with each other. And after dinner, he pays me back for the surprise I gave him earlier that afternoon.

The next morning, I can only think about the perfection of the past few days as we pack up and get ready to go back to the castle. I thought at least by the end, we might get a little sick of each other since we were stuck in such a small cabin together for a whole week, but we never did. I think we needed this time more than anything. Our honeymoon became our time away from everything to enjoy everything about each other. Even as friends, we reconnected and fell in love with each other all over again. We can be completely ourselves in front of the other, and we always seem to still want more. I'm constantly reminded how lucky I am to have a man as wonderful as Caspian fall in love with me. I know that life won't always be as perfect as our honeymoon, but we can get through anything together.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the dirtiest of all the chapters. The next chapter is the last one for this story. It's been quite a fun challenge to crank out so many words in such a short amount of time. Thanks again for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: So this is the end, you guys! Like I mentioned way back in Chapter 1, this is my first fanfic. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, and hopefully you are too. It's always so nice to see so many readers from around the world :)

As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 14

Today is almost exactly a year since the Pevensies left. In that time-frame, he has fulfilled everything that he set out to accomplish. He has waited for a year to be crowned in order to show the people he wants peace. He also managed to rebuild Cair Paravel to its former state of magnificence, and he also figured out what to do about his marriage.

We have been living in Cair for about a week now. And now that we're settled in, I have fallen in love with it even more. I just got finished helping Molly set up her new house that she shares with her family, and I decide to go up to my room. I call it my room, but it really belongs to Caspian and me. I greet the guards that are stationed at the end of our hallway, and then enter the room. Security is heightened for us both now, since our coronation is coming up very soon. Tomorrow, actually.

I'm greeted with light of late afternoon spilling in through the large windows of the balconies and the warm glow of the fireplace. Even though Caspian did most of the planning for our room, he did a lot of it with me in mind, so that makes it even more special to me. Even miniscule details hint of our love and understanding of one another. I'm pretty sure that I could live anywhere and it would feel like home if Caspian were with me. I wonder if we'll ever get sick of each other. I highly doubt it. He's standing by his large wardrobe, rooting through his clothes. There are already some clothes laid out on the bed. He turns and gives me one of his best smiles. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Well, hello my love," he says.

"Hi! What are you doing? Are you playing dress up?"

"Unfortunately for you, no. I'm going through my clothes so I can bring some options to the seamstress. That way, we can finalize my outfit for the coronation tomorrow. I'm not sure if what I have will work or not. If not, they'll make whatever I need. And that reminds me, you can come along too. They have several dresses for you to try. Molly gave them your measurements already, so it might not even take that long for you."

"I get new things too? Fun!"

He laughs at me. "Well, you are going to be queen, you know."

"We'll be quite the pair," I say, then release my hold on him and pull him into a kiss. Then I go to inspect the clothes on the bed. That's when I see an unfamiliar big wooden box sitting on the bed as well. "What's in the box?" I ask.

He looks excited and has me sit down on the bed next to him while he puts the box between us. "In here, my love, are our crowns."

Now I'm really excited. "Can I see them?"

"Of course you can." He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a key. I hadn't even noticed that the box is locked. He unlocks it and opens the top, revealing two magnificent and beautiful crowns sitting on a padded bed of red velvet. I can tell right away which one is mine because it's slightly smaller and is more jeweled. They are both made of solid gold, and have numerous diamonds displayed on all sides. It's hard to even see any gold from the front of mine, except for the prongs.

"Caspian, they're beautiful."

He picks mine up and hands it to me. It's about as heavy as it looks, although the weight is worth its beauty. "Do you recognize the gems on here?" he asks.

There are three large gemstones on three of the highest peaks on the crown. One I recognize immediately and I think I know what the other two are. "This one is a black sapphire, right? To represent Telmar?" Black sapphires are the stone representing our people. I've always found them quite beautiful. They're so dark that they look black. But when held up to the light, they are clearly a lovely dark navy.

"Yes. I wanted to make sure that Telmar is represented on our crowns. And that one," he says, pointing to a lovely green gemstone on the opposite side, "is an emerald. That is the stone to represent the Narnian people and their ties to nature."

"That's wonderful. So what is this one for?" I point to the last one, which is a vibrant red stone in the very center of the crown.

"That one I got to choose. It will represent our lineage as king and queen. It's a ruby, which is my birthstone. But it's also the month you moved into the castle and started a life with us. It was just a few days before my birthday. I don't think either of us remembers it because we were so young, but the Professor told me that the other day. Anyway, the color red so often represents love, so it is rather fitting for us in that way too."

"Caspian, I absolutely love it. You put so much thought into everything. That's another reason you'll be a great king."

"Well thank you. I'm just glad I'll have you by my side. Are you still nervous about being queen? I haven't heard you say much about that lately."

"Yah, a little I guess. But really, you'll be with me the whole time. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up about it."

"It's ok to have feelings, even fear. We'll take it one day at a time. Together."

"Okay," I tell him as I put the crown back in the box. He locks it back up and places it on his dresser. "So now what?" I ask.

He has a devilish smirk as he runs to the bed and gently pushes me back on the bed under him. I part my legs so he can fit between them, and he starts kissing all the skin on my face, neck, and chest that he can see. I think he's going to keep going, but he pulls back.

"I don't want to stop, but we have to meet with the seamstress really soon."

I pull his head back down to mine and mash my soft lips against his again several more times. "Are you sure?"

He kisses me hard again, then lays his head against my neck and groans angrily. "I wish I wasn't. But I think we're already a little late."

"Well, that's too bad, Princey," I have to call him that since this is his last day as Prince. "I really wanted you," I say seductively in his ear then smack him on the butt.

He yelps then gets off me and stands next to the bed. "Oh, I'm going to get you back for that."

I sincerely hope he means that.

We make our way down to the room in the castle where the seamstress is waiting. Molly comes with us to help carry Caspian's clothes. He has a pair of pants and a shirt that end up being okay, since he will wear an intricate robe over them during the ceremony. She makes a few tweaks to the robe, and then it's my turn. I try on all of the dresses she made. They all fit pretty well, since she had my measurements beforehand. I can't decide which one I want, so Molly and Caspian help me choose the best one. I end up agreeing with the heavy red and gold one, since red is the symbol of our reign anyway. It's more ornate than my typical dresses, but it's quite appropriate for the purpose of the ceremony, and it will be fun to wear something so different for one day. It has large rounded shoulders and a high collar, but the bodice fits tight and it dips down in the back. Thankfully it's at least somewhat fitted around my waist, so it still feels very feminine.

We finish faster than we thought we would. Molly helps us bring our wardrobe pieces back to our room, and then leaves us since she's still on duty. I'm just finishing putting my dress away when I feel Caspian's arms snake around my waist and he holds me in place.

"Where were we?" he purrs in my ear.

"Hmmmm. This seems about right," I say as he sucks on a spot on my neck. He loosens his grip around me and drops his hands to my waist, but still stays behind me. Then one hand moves to the back of my dress and he unties it all the way down. He surprises me when he spins me around and pushes me against the wardrobe, then he takes my dress and pulls it down from the shoulders. I only move enough to step out of it, and now I'm only left in my underwear, since I don't wear a bra with that dress. He puts his hands on my breasts, palming and gently kneading them. Then he quickly removes his tunic, and then pushes his naked chest against mine back up against the wardrobe. We kiss until we can't breathe and our greedy hands roam all over every inch of flesh that we can reach.

I'm feeling sneaky today, so I duck out from under his grasp and then run towards the bed. Only, he's faster than I am, so when I jump up onto the bed and start to make my way across it, he's able to grab my legs and I collapse on the bed, giggling. He grabs my ankles and pulls me towards him at the edge of the bed. I turn over so I'm on my back, and I sit up, opening my legs so he can stand between them. We pull each other close again, chest to chest, and kiss again for what seems like forever. I can feel the familiar wetness of my desire forming from my lust for him. I drop my hold from around his shoulders and break our kiss to reach down and undo his pants, and then he steps free from them and is now completely naked. He puts his hands on the waistline of my underwear and I help him maneuver them off.

I move so I'm towards the middle of our huge bed and he comes overtop me. I just start to run my hands down his muscular chest when he suddenly grabs my wrists tightly with one of his hands. It doesn't hurt, but I definitely can't get out of his grasp. I look at him and he looks pleased to watch me try to struggle free. He leans down closer to me as he lifts my arms above my head. I'm completely helpless, and I've never been so turned on by one single act. I try to raise my head up to kiss him, but he backs up enough that he's just out of reach. I then lock my knees around his waist and try to rub myself against him, but he holds me down with his free hand. I need friction and I need it now. He's reduced me to begging. "Please?" I plead.

His eyes look extra dark as he looks down at me with a smirk. "What do you want?"

"You. I need you. I'm so wet."

"Mmmm. You're wet for me?"

"Yes. I need you inside me."

He stares into my eyes as he takes his hand from my waist and guides himself to my entrance. I moan as he slowly pushes into me because it feels so good. Even though I can't use my arms, I still like it. I wouldn't want to be dominated in this way every time, but it makes me feel powerful to know how desirable I am. Even though he's slow with his movements at first, I'm so turned on that it doesn't take me long to cum for the first time. I can feel his hand tighten around my wrists as my walls constrict around him, and then he starts to thrust in me a little faster.

"Don't stop," I whisper in his ear.

It's only another minute or two before my second orgasm starts building again. I start to whimper and I close my eyes.

I hear Caspian say, "Look at me."

I open my eyes and stare into his beautiful brown eyes. "Come for me my love."

It's intense as we stare into each other's eyes, and I've never felt more connected to him. My body is finally ready and I come around him hard a second time. He presses his lips hard against mine in the same moment. Then he lets go of my wrists and holds himself above me as he also climaxes. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold him close as he empties himself into me. He pulls out of me then goes to move beside me, but I tighten my arms around him.

"No, stay," I say quietly in his ear, and he settles back down over my body. Of course he's heavy, but I love feeling him over me. I kiss his forehead and run my fingertips through his soft hair.

He turns his head slightly so he can look up at me. "Was that okay that I did that? I didn't mean it to be demeaning in any…" he starts to say.

I stop him with a passionate kiss. "That was amazing and I know you weren't doing it in a demeaning way. It made me feel wanted. Desirable."

"Mmmm. Good. Because you are desirable. And I love you more than anything."

"I love you too. And maybe I'll return the favor someday," I tell him. He looks excited by the idea.

This game of payback is quite fun.

* * *

I wake up the next morning to a certain Prince's lips pressing repeatedly against my own. I have to agree with what he said the morning after our wedding. This is a wonderful way to be woken up. But he doesn't quite continue like I think he's going to. I slowly open my eyes and realize that it's still very dark outside. There's only a slight navy blue glow that hints at the approaching sunrise.

"What time is it?"

"It's early my love, but I want to show you something."

We both climb out of bed and get dressed. He grabs my hand and we entwine our fingers as we walk down into the castle, and we don't stop until we get to the huge doors of our throne room. It's still fairly dark, but there are several torches lining the room, causing the natural orange, flickering glow that can only be produced by fire to fill the space. The marble of the room is still prominent, but our coronation colors of dark blue, green, and red are displayed everywhere. Tapestries are hanging in rows, and there is a wide carpet that extends all the way to our thrones. Giant round flower pots several feet in diameter are filled with assortments of flowers, which are also our chosen colors. It's breathtaking and there aren't even other people in here yet.

"I wanted you to see the room before we have the ceremony later. What do you think?"

"It's beautiful. It's actually like an extravagant version of our wedding," I think out loud, although I felt like our wedding was already extravagant enough. This definitely even outdoes that. Still, I wouldn't want to change even the tiniest detail of our wedding day.

"Ha! In a way, I guess that's true. But that will still be my favorite day," he says with a sincerity that I cannot deny.

"Hmmm. Good answer, Princey," I say, then stand in front of him for a kiss.

"I'm so glad that nickname is almost done," he says then smiles and lowers his neck to eagerly press his lips against my own. I still savor every moment, glance, and touch from him. Just a few short moments of closeness, and my heart is already quickening. I reluctantly pull back and I tug on Caspian and pull him up to our thrones. We sit down on the cushioned seats and survey the room. I look over at my love, on his throne right next to mine. I really hope that no one comes in here right now. We both look fairly ridiculous. Our hair is still messy from sleep and we are in clothes that aren't really appropriate outside of our bedroom. But even dressed and groomed the way we are, I can see the pride shining on Caspian's face. Our wedding day might be his favorite day, but I know this one will be a very close second. He is still somewhat reluctant of his approaching responsibilities, but he has already exceeded everyone's opinions. He is wise and fair, and will be a great king.

We head back to our room to make ourselves a little more presentable then make our way down to the kitchens for breakfast. We still have a few hours before the ceremony, so we thankfully have an easy morning. I'm a little on edge though, knowing how many people will be at the ceremony and thinking about what today really means. I relax a little, though, when I think of how my life really changed when I married Caspian. It was then that I had truly committed to this life together with him. Already my fears have been lessened because life is already greater than I expected.

After breakfast, we find Molly and bring her up to our room. We spend the rest of the morning talking and getting ready for the ceremony. She leaves us around noon, when we only have an hour left to go. We decide to go down to our office, which is where we will wait since it is adjacent to the throne room. We find that Dr. Cornelius is already there, and Molly joins us a while later.

Finally, it's time to start. Like our wedding, music is played to indicate the start of the ceremony. Dr. Cornelius walks in front of us, and I hold onto Caspian's arm. We go to the throne room door and my heart starts pounding. I take one last look over at my husband, and his smile gives me all the confidence I need. Guards open the doors for us, and I am astonished at the hundreds of Narnians and Telmarines in the room. There is a palpable positive energy in the room, reflected in the rows of smiles of the people we pass. I look forward to our thrones and see Aslan standing behind our chairs, looking quite majestic himself. We finally reach our thrones and take a seat.

Aslan starts the ceremony. "My dear people, we are gathered here today to witness the coronation of the next King and Queen of Narnia. This is a sacred ceremony, and I will begin with my blessing on the couple."

We continue to listen and look out over our people as Aslan says kind words and blessings upon both of us and the country. Then Aslan walks around close to Caspian's throne and begins the short coronation part of the ceremony.

"Will you, Caspian X, promise to govern the peoples of Narnia, according to the laws and customs? And will you rule with justice and courage all the days of your reign?"

"I promise to do so."

Dr. Cornelius comes around front and also stands next to Caspian. He holds up a large bowl of ceremonial oil, which Aslan dabs on the tip of his paw. He places oil on Caspian's head, hands, and over his heart to symbolize his lifelong promise to rule in every aspect of his life. Next, Dr. Cornelius puts the bowl down and brings the crown forward. I can't stop the tears from forming in my eyes at the beauty of this moment. I've never seen Dr. Cornelius look so proud of Caspian. He picks up the crown and holds it steady over Caspian's head as Aslan says one final remark.

"Caspian X, with the power of the deep magic, I bless your reign and I officially pronounce you High King of Narnia." At that moment, the Professor places the crown on his head, then steps back. Caspian, now King, stands and looks out over the cheering crowd.

Caspian takes a seat as silence slowly falls over the crowd again. It's my turn next, and I go through the same motions that he just went through. I'm pronounced Queen and with the weight of my crown on my head, I also stand and look over the people I just swore to rule and care for. I thought that I might have fear and possibly regret in this moment, but now that I'm experiencing it, I feel none of those things. I only feel hope and joy and a sincere love for these people and this country. I stand with Caspian, the Professor, and Aslan at my side, and know that our future is bright.

Caspian then stands and takes my hand. "Ladies and Gentleman, your King and Queen!" Aslan says, and the crowd cheers louder than ever. We process back down the aisle and then return to our office. Our coronation feast is next, and we wait for everyone to filter into the main dining hall. I help Caspian take off his robe since it's cumbersome and hot. We keep our crowns on, though.

We make our way down to the feast and we get another round of cheers from the hundreds of people as we make our way to our head table. There are rows and rows of tables displaying traditional Narnian and Telmarine foods showcasing the best of food that each has to offer. I sit down in my chair, and then realize Caspian is going to say a few words when he remains standing and looks expectantly over the crowd. They quiet down quite quickly, and then he speaks.

"Ladies and gentleman, I am truly thankful that you are all here to bear witness and celebrate such a wonderful occasion. Let us now eat and drink in thanks of the many wonderful blessings in our lives. Thank you and enjoy your time this evening."

The people waste no time in getting up to take part in the feast. Caspian sits in his chair and pulls it close to mine. Molly comes to us to find out what we would like to eat. When she leaves, I turn and kiss Caspian passionately. Then we both pull away smiling.

"I just wanted to know what it was like to kiss a king," I say to him.

"Well, kissing a queen isn't so bad," he retorts. We are so alike.

We spend the rest of the afternoon eating, dancing, and mingling with the people. More people want to talk to Caspian than they do with me, but I'm fine with that. I'm a little taken aback by a few comments about providing an heir to the throne. We haven't even been married that long, and people already want royal children. Apparently it doesn't take long for every detail of our lives to be scrutinized. It's a strange notion, but I remember that I knew some of the sacrifices that I would have to make. So much of my fear stemmed from the unknown of what the royal life would be like. But now that I am living it, I know that I made the right choice, even if there are things about it that I don't always like. Besides, Caspian is so worth it. I also think about how tomorrow will start our real duties. These past few weeks have been like a vacation, since we visited Cair Paravel, got married, went on our honeymoon, and then prepared for our coronation. Even though it will take some adjusting, I know that we will settle in to our duties.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when the musicians start warming up with their instruments. And I'm surprised when Molly approaches us, and she's not alone. She's holding the hand of a handsome Telmarine gentleman whom she is courting. We talk for a few minutes, and even Caspian comes up to join in. His name is Harman. He's fairly new in town from Telmar, and just started working for the blacksmith in Cair Paravel. He is somewhat reserved in personality, but he is respectful and speaks well of Molly.

We spend the rest of the evening dancing, eating, and drinking. It really couldn't have gone any better. Plenty of women swarmed around Caspian throughout the evening, but none of them overstepped any boundaries.

It gets later in the evening, and it's clear that the remaining people will be partying for a while longer. Caspian and I are tired, since we got up early and had a busy day, so we get a few guards to escort us up to our room. Another benefit of the position of our room in the castle is how far it is from the noise in the main part of the castle. We can't hear a thing.

I go straight to the bathroom and am happy to find our hot bathwater that I requested is already drawn in the tub. I walk back into our room to find Caspian undressing and nearly naked. I can't help but smile every time I see his body. I walk over to him and turn so he's at my back. I move my hair to the side, revealing the strings on the back of my dress.

"Help me next?" I ask him.

He places a kiss on my back on the exposed skin in the middle of my shoulder blades, and then starts to untie the strings. With each layer that gets loosened, I get instant relief. The bodice is quite tight on this dress, so it feels good to finally breathe when the strings are all undone. I then turn around and hold onto Caspian so I can step out of my dress. Then he helps remove the rest of my clothes, making sure to touch me in intimate and loving ways. Now that we're both naked, I head to the bathroom with him right behind. We get into to the tub together. I thought we were going to wash up first, but we always get so distracted by each other, so I end up on top of him and I ride us both to climax. Then we wash our hair and bodies with our favorite mint soap, and we dry off and get into bed. I snuggle up to Caspian and kiss his chest.

"Well, today was wonderful. But I don't really feel any different as king," he says.

"Yah. I don't feel too different as queen."

"I'm just so glad you're with me, Anna."

I pick up my head and rest it on one of my hands so I can look at him. "I can't imagine not being married to you. You're everything to me."

"You're everything to me too, my love. We'll get through anything together."

"Yes, we will."

* * *

A/N: That's it, ya'll! Thanks for reading! Now, I'm not saying that there will or won't be a sequel because I'm just not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I need to have a definite storyline that I'm excited to delve into. It might take me some time to develop it. Plus, I'm just beginning the process of getting into nursing school, so if I get in sooner rather than later, life will get pretty darn crazy for me at times. Anyway, feel free to review ;)


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